SPECIFIC GARVITY CALCULATION

DESCRIPTION RESULT Unit

0.917
Specific gravity

Material density Md 916.7 kg/m^3

Water density Wd 1000 kg/m^3

Equation specific gravity = material density / water density

Law:
specific gravity calculator determines the relative density of a substance compared to cold freshwater; very
useful for knowing if a material floats or sinks.
Specific gravity (also referred to as relative density) is the ratio of the density of a material compared to the
density of water at 4 °C (39.2 °F). People usually choose that temperature as it is when water is at its densest.
The specific gravity equation is:
specific gravity = material density / water density
Since the specific gravity formula consists of one density divided by another, the specific gravity units don't
exist. It is a unitless quantity, like most ratios in physics.
Specific gravity values are usually given at one atmosphere of pressure (1013.25 kPa). Remember, that you
have to check the temperature of both the material and the reference (usually water) when quoting specific
gravities. Standard temperatures vary depending on industry and the material you are measuring.
The specific gravity of water has a value of 1, as it's being compared to itself, and the same number divided
by itself is 1.
The difference between density and specific gravity is that density is an absolute quantity (mass per unit
volume). In contrast, specific gravity compares the density of a material to the density of cold freshwater, and
is a relative quantity.
 Detail Input cell

Result output cell

GRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATION

freshwater; very

compared to the
ater is at its densest.

ravity units don't

emember, that you

n quoting specific
asuring.
e number divided

mass per unit

old freshwater, and
 EXAMPLE
How to find the specific gravity of a substance. Lookup the density of your sample
material (or calculate it using our density calculator), then it divide by the density of
freshwater at 4 °C, which is 1,000 kg/m³ (62.428 lb/ft³).

Let's practice by finding the specific gravity of ice, which has a density of 916.7 kg/m³
(57.23 lb/ft³). To do that, we use the specific gravity formula:

specific gravity of ice = 916.7 / 1000 = 0.9167