The kilogram per cubic metre (symbol: kg·m
−3, or kg/m
3) is the unit of
density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...
in the
International System of Units
The International System of Units, internationally known by the abbreviation SI (from French ), is the modern form of the metric system and the world's most widely used system of measurement. It is the only system of measurement with official s ...
(SI). It is defined by dividing the SI unit of
mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
, the
kilogram
The kilogram (also spelled kilogramme) is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand grams. It has the unit symbol kg. The word "kilogram" is formed from the combination of the metric prefix kilo- (m ...
, by the SI unit of
volume
Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch) ...
, the
cubic metre.
Conversions
*1 kg/m
3 = 1 g/
L (exactly)
*1 kg/m
3 = 0.001
g/cm3 (exactly)
*1 kg/m
3 ≈ 0.06243
lb/
ft3 (approximately)
*1 kg/m
3 ≈ 0.1335
oz/
US gal (approximately)
*1 kg/m
3 ≈ 0.1604 oz/
imp gal (approximately)
*1
g/cm3 = 1000 kg/m
3 (exactly)
*1 lb/ft
3 ≈ 16.02 kg/m
3 (approximately)
*1 oz/(US gal) ≈ 7.489 kg/m
3 (approximately)
*1 oz/(imp gal) ≈ 6.236 kg/m
3 (approximately)
Relation to other measures
The density of water is about 1000 kg/m
3 or 1 g/cm
3, because the size of the gram was originally based on the mass of a cubic centimetre of water.
In
chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
, g/cm
3 is more commonly used.
See also
*
Gram per cubic centimetre
The gram per cubic centimetre is a unit of density in International System of Units (SI), and is commonly used in chemistry. Its official SI symbols are g/cm3, g·cm−3, or g cm−3. It is equal to the units gram per millilitre (g/mL) and ...
References
External links
Official BIPM definition of the kilogram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilogram Per Cubic Metre
SI derived units
Units of chemical measurement
Units of density