Specific Gravity Calculator

What Is a Specific Gravity Calculator?

Specific gravity compares a substance's density to the density of water (or another reference fluid), giving a simple dimensionless number that shows whether something will float (specific gravity below 1) or sink (above 1) in that reference fluid.

How to Use This Specific Gravity Calculator

1. Enter the density of your substance (in consistent units, e.g. kg/m³ or g/mL).
2. Enter the reference density — the default of 1000 kg/m³ (or 1 g/mL) is water.
3. Click Calculate to get the specific gravity.

Formula

• Specific Gravity = density of substance / density of reference (water)

Worked Example

Olive oil has a density of 920 kg/m³. Specific Gravity = 920 / 1000 = 0.92 — so olive oil floats on water.