Specific Gravity Calculator
Enter a substance’s density and a reference density to calculate its specific gravity.
Specific Gravity Calculator
Calculate the specific gravity of a substance relative to a reference density (typically water).
Specific gravity is a dimensionless ratio comparing a substance’s density to that of a reference substance, almost always water (1,000 kg/m³ at 4°C). A specific gravity above 1 means the substance is denser than the reference and would sink in it; below 1 means it would float.
Example
- With the default values shown above, this calculator returns: Specific Gravity ≈ 1.0000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What reference density should I use?
Water at 1,000 kg/m³ (or 1 g/cm³) is the standard reference for specific gravity of liquids and solids; some fields use air as the reference for gases.
What does a specific gravity below 1 mean?
It means the substance is less dense than the reference and would float in it — ice, for example, has a specific gravity of about 0.92 relative to water.