Weights of Common Substances

Compiled by Andrew Roy

The table below provides density figures for many common (and some not-so-common) substances. This information is useful for determining the weight (or volume) of objects and cargo. This table was pieced together from a wide variety of sources, listed in full at the bottom of the page. The inspiration for this comes from the old Dragon magazine article, "How Heavy is My Giant".

These figures have not been rigorously checked. Do not rely on this as a scientific reference! If you note any wild innaccuracies, please let the webmaster know. The list will be corrected, updated, and expanded from time to time.

Note on measures: Specific gravity is a measure of an object's density. A cubic centimeter of water at 4°C weighs 1 gram, and has a specific gravity of 1. The specific gravity numbers below can be read as "grams per cubic centimeter" (or kg/liter). A solid object with a specific gravity greater than 1 will sink in water. Weight in pounds per cubic inch and foot is also provided to save non-metric users some time on the calculator.


TOP	METALS	MINERALS	OTHER	WOOD	BOTTOM

Metals	Specific Gravity	Pounds per Cubic Inch	Pounds per Cubic Foot	Notes
Aluminum	2.702	0.098	169
Brass	8.4-8.7	0.303-0.314	524-556
Bronze	7.4-8.9	0.267-0.322	462-556
Cobalt	8.9	0.322	556
Copper	8.93	0.323	557
Gold, pure	19.32	0.698	1,206
Gold, alloys	15.3-19.3	.553-0.698	955-1205
Iron, pure	7.86	0.284	491
Iron, wrought	7.4-7.9	0.275-0.285	474-493
Iron, cast (gray)	7.03-7.13	0.254-0.258	439-445
Lead	11.34	0.41	710
Magnesium	1.738	0.063	108
Mercury	13.546	0.489	846
Nickel	8.9	0.322	556
Platinum	21.45	0.775	1,339
Plutonium	19.8	0.715	1236
Silver, pure	10.5	0.379	655
Silver, alloys	10-12	0.362-0.434	625-750
Steel	7.7-7.93	0.278-0.286	481-495
Tin	7.3	0.264	456
Titanium	4.5	0.163	281
Tungsten	19.3	0.697	1,205
Uranium	18.9	0.683	1180
Zinc	7.14	0.258	446


TOP	METALS	MINERALS	OTHER	WOOD	BOTTOM

Non-Metallic Minerals	Specific Gravity	Pounds per Cubic Inch	Pounds per Cubic Foot	Notes
Agate	2.6	0.094	162
Alabaster	2.7-2.77	0.098-0.1	169-173
Amber	1.25-1.55	0.045-0.056	78-97	fossil resin, not a real mineral at all. Also included in the OTHER section.
Asbestos, solid	2.45	0.089	125-175	often mined with serpentine
Basalt	3.01	0.109	188
Beryl	2.36-2.91	0.085-0.105	147-182	includes emerald and aquamarine
Biotite	2.8-3	0.101-0.108	175-187	iron ore
Cassiterite	6.4-7.0	0.231-253	400-437	tin ore
Chalk, solid	2.5	0.09	156
Cinnabar	8.1	0.293	505	ore containing mercury, red dye
Clay	1.8-2.5	0.065-0.09	112-156
Coal	1.35-1.51	0.049-0.055	84-94
Cobaltite	6.3	0.228	393	cobalt ore, used in ancient times for its blue color
Coral	2.12	0.077	132
Corundum	3.99	0.144	249	ruby, sapphire
Diamond	3-3.53	0.108-0.128	187-220
Dolomite	2.85-2.95	0.103-0.107	178-184	building and road stone, main source of magnesium
Feldspar	2.54-2.62	0.092-0.095	159-164
Flint	2.63	0.095	164
Galena	7.4-7.6	.267-.275	462-474	lead ore
Garnet	3.58-4.32	0.129-0.156	223-270
Granite	2.69	0.097	168
Graphite (carbon)	2.3	0.083	145
Gummite	3.9-6.4	0.141-.231	243-400	uranium ore
Gypsum	2.3	0.083	144
Gypsum, crushed	1.6	0.058	100
Hematite	5.1-5.2	0.184-0.188	318-325	most important iron ore
Hemimorphite	3.4-3.5	0.123-0.126	212-218	zinc ore
Jadeite (Jade)	3.33	0.12	208
Jasper	2.55	0.092	159
Jet	1.33	0.048	83
Limestone	2.61	0.094	163
Limonite	3.6-4.0	0.130-0.145	225-250	iron ore
Lumashella (fire marble)	2.56	0.092	160	fantasy stone from the Forgotten Realms: dark brown with small, iridescent opal-like snails. I think I made up the density.
Magnetite	4.9-5.2	0.177-0.188	306-325	iron ore
Malachite	3.75-3.95	0.135-0.143	234-247	copper ore
Marble	2.69	0.097	168
Obsidian	2.35	0.085	145
Opal	2.2	0.079	137
Pearl	2.7	0.098	168	Not a real mineral: also included in the OTHER section.
Porphyry	2.55	0.092	159
Pumice	0.64	0.023	40
Pyrite (fool's gold)	4.1-5.02	0.148-0.181	256-313	mined for sulfur, iron, gold and copper
Quartz	2.6	0.094	162
Rocksalt	2.16	0.078	135
Salt, course	0.8	0.029	50
Salt, fine	1.2	0.043	75
Saltpetre	1.2	0.043	75
Sand, dry	1.62	0.059	101
Sand, wet	1.92	0.069	120
Sandstone	2.32	0.084	134-147
Serpentine	2.57	0.093	160
Smithsonite	4.3	0.155	268	zinc ore
Soapstone	2.6-2.8	0.094-0.101	162-175
Spinel	3.6	0.13	225
Stone (common, generic)	2.52	0.091	157
Sulfur	2-2.1	0.072-0.076	125-130
Talc	2.58-2.83	0.93-.102	160-175
Topaz	3.53	0.128	220
Turquoise	2.8	0.101	175


TOP	METALS	MINERALS	OTHER	WOOD	BOTTOM

Other Substances	Specific Gravity	Pounds per Cubic Inch	Pounds per Cubic Foot	Notes
Air	0.00125	0	0.078
Amber	1.25-1.55	0.045-0.056	78-97	fossil resin
Apples	0.64	0.023	40
Ashes	0.66	0.024	41	Random tidbit: the ashes of the average cremated person weigh five pounds. (I originally listed "nine pounds" based on a web page somewhere, but further research suggested that five pounds was closer to the truth. One source claimed that ashes usually weigh approximately 3% of body weight, which also supports 5 lbs as an average figure).
Asphalt, Crushed	0.72	0.026	45
Barley	0.61	0.022	38
Beans, cocoa	0.59	0.021	37
Beeswax	0.96	0.035	60
Bone	1.7-2.0	0.061-0.072	106-125
Bone, dry powdered	0.88	0.032	55
Brick	2	0.072	125	quite variable, obviously
Butter	0.87	0.031	54
Camphor	1	0.036	62
Cement, hardened	2.7-3.05	0.098-0.11	169-190
Charcoal	0.21	0.008	13
Cork	0.249	0.009	16
Flesh, Human	0.99-1.07		61-67	This is the average density of a human body with breath exhaled (density drops to 56-62 lbs/cu foot if you inhale). Lower figures reflect relatively more body fat (which is lighter than bone and muscle).
Flour, Wheat	0.59	0.021	37
Glass	2.4-2.8	0.087-0.101	150-175
Gum Arabic	1.3-1.4	0.047-0.051	81-87	a plant derivative used in glues, inks, confectionery, and pharmaceuticals
Ice, crushed	0.59	0.021	37
Ice, solid	0.92	0.033	57	This is the density of pure ice (917 kilograms per cubic metre at 0° C and atmospheric pressure). Most naturally occurring ice is less dense due to pockets of air, ranging from around 53 lbs/cubic foot on up.
Ivory	1.84	0.066	115
Leather (Dry)	0.95	0.034	60
Manure	0.4	0.014	25
Oats	0.43	0.016	27
Oats, Rolled	0.3	0.011	19
Ochre	3.5	0.126	218	red/yellow mineral pigment
Oil, linseed	0.94	0.034	59
Oil, petroleum	0.88	0.032	55
Paper	1.2	0.043	44-80
Paraffin	0.72	0.026	45
Pearl	2.7	0.098	168
Peat, dry	0.4	0.014	25
Peat, wet	1.12	0.04	70
Pitch	1.15	0.042	72
Plaster	0.85	0.031	53
Porcelain	2.4	0.087	150
Potash	1.28	0.046	80
Rice, hulled	0.75	0.027	47
Rice, rough	0.58	0.021	36
Rocksalt	2.16	0.078	135	Also included in the MINERALS section.
Rosin	1.07	0.039	67
Rubber	1.52	0.055	95
Salt, course	0.8	0.029	50	Also included in the MINERALS section.
Salt, fine	1.2	0.043	75	Also included in the MINERALS section.
Sawdust	0.27	0.01	17
Snow, freshly fallen	0.16	0.006	10
Snow, packed	0.48	0.017	30
Soap	0.8	0.029	50
Sugar	0.85	0.031	53
Tar	1.15	0.042	72
Tobacco	0.32	0.012	20
Water, fresh	1	0.036	62	62.4278 precisely
Water, sea (avg.)	1.03	0.037	64
Wool	1.31	0.047	82


TOP	METALS	MINERALS	OTHER	WOOD	BOTTOM

Wood, Dry Seasoned	Specific Gravity	Pounds per Cubic Inch	Pounds per Cubic Foot	Notes
Apple	0.71	0.026	41-52
Ash, black	0.54	0.02	34
Ash, white	0.67	0.024	42
Aspen	0.42	0.015	26
Balsa	0.17	0.006	11
Bamboo	0.3-0.4	0.011-0.014	19-25
Cedar, red	0.38	0.014	24
Cypress	0.51	0.018	32
Ebony	0.96-1.12	0.035-.04	60-70
Elm	0.6	0.022	37
Lignum Vitae	1.28-1.37	0.046-0.049	80-86	the very hard, heavy wood of certain South American Guaiacums. Used in pulleys, axels, and bowling balls.
Mahogany	0.54-0.85	0.02-0.31	34-53
Maple	0.755	0.027	47
Oak	0.925	0.033	37-58
Pine, White	0.554	0.02	22-35
Pine, Yellow	0.66	0.024	23-41
Redwood	0.45	0.016	28
Sycamore	0.59	0.021	37
Teak	0.63	0.23	40
Willow	0.42	0.015	26


TOP	METALS	MINERALS	OTHER	WOOD	BOTTOM

Sources:

The original idea for this page, and the initial list of substances, comes from a classic Dragon magazine article:

Da Orc, Shlump. "How Heavy Is My Giant." The Dragon 13 (April 1978): 5-7.

The article was reprinted in the first "Best of The Dragon" collection. It can also be found on the Dragon Magazine Archive CD-ROM.

That initial list has been expanded and updated with information from a variety of web sites, listed in no particular order:

Alphabetical Mineral Reference by Dr. Jillian Banfield at University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Chemicool Periodic Table by David Hsu.

Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Specific Gravity Table For Various Metals at Reade Advanced Materials.

Weight And Specific Gravity Per Cubic Foot, also at Reade Advanced Materials. Strange thing though... the header to this document states that it was specifically created for gamers! It's a good place to go if you can't find something on my list -- it covers a lot of modern materials.

The Household Cyclopedia, a fabulous 19th century tome of knowledge.

Finally, special thanks to the erudite members of the Pyramid Magazine Discussion Groups (from Steve Jackson Games) who have suggested numerous corrections to the data and organization of this page.

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Weights of Common Substances

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