1 liter of water in kg

How to convert from volume to mass (often referred to as weight)?

Well, by definition of density we just need to use the formula:

mass = density × volume

Example: How much does 2 cubic meters of gasoline weigh in kilograms if the gasoline density is 750 kg/m³?

Plugging the values in the formula, we get

mass = density × volume = 750 × 2 = 1500 Kg

Very simple isn't it? Yes, it is as simple as that. But this works fine when the density value we have (from a chart for example) is defined using the same unit of volume and mass that we will use in the formula. For example, mass in kg and volume in liters. If we have, for example, mass in pounds and volume in gallons, we should do something to correct our result.

To transform the mass from pounds to kilograms we should multiply the mass in pounds by 0.45359237. We will call 0.45359237 the mass conversion factor - mcf

Matematically we write:

mass in kilograms = mass in pounds × mcf or

m_kg = m_lb × mcf (1)

To transform the volume from gallons to cubic meters we should multiply the volume in gallons by 0.003785411784. We will call 0.003785411784 the volume conversion factor - vcf

Matematically we write:

volume in cubic meters = volume in gallons × vcf or

v_m³ = v_gal × vcf (2)

Now, dividing the equation (1) by the equation (2), we get

m_kgv_m³ = m_lb × mcfv_gal × vcf, or

m_kgv_m³ = m_lbv_gal × mcfvcf, but m_kgv_m³ is, by definition, the density (d) in kg/m³, so

d = m_lbv_gal × mcfvcf

Rearranging the formula above we get

m_lb = d × v_gal × vcfmcf

Finally, we can generalize this formula any units of mass and volume, since we know how to find the values for mcf and vcf (Check the factor tables below).

m = d × v × vcfmcf

That is exactly the formula that we use in this calculator. You can see how this formula works reading the example above or/and choosing another one at the bottom of this page.

These tables contain the most frequently used vcf and mcf.

Note: The conversion factors shown above are exact values by international definition. The pound (0.45359237 kg) was standardized in 1959, and the US gallon (0.003785411784 m³) is defined exactly as 231 cubic inches. The varying number of decimal places reflects each unit's official definition, not measurement precision.

Data Sources & References

Material density data and descriptions are compiled from authoritative sources:

1. Mass, Weight, Density or Specific Gravity of Liquids - Simetric
   Comprehensive database of liquid densities and specific gravities
2. Mass, Weight, Density or Specific Gravity of Water at Various Temperatures - Simetric
   Temperature-dependent water density data
3. Volume to Weight conversions for common substances and materials - aqua-calc.com
   Author: Aqua-Calc Team, Published: 2023
4. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Chemical and physical properties
   Comprehensive reference for chemical compounds and material properties
5. ASTM International - Standards for materials testing
   Technical standards for chemicals, liquids, and construction materials
6. ISO Standards - International material standards
   International Organization for Standardization - Material properties
7. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) - Measurement standards
   Official US standards for weights, measures, and physical constants
8. NIST Chemistry WebBook - Thermophysical properties
   Database of chemical and physical property data for chemical compounds

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