About

In culinary arts, chemistry, and fluid mechanics, precision is often compromised by confusing mass with volume. While 1 kg of water equals exactly 1 L (at max density), this rule fails for almost every other liquid. Oil floats because it is lighter than water; honey sinks because it is denser. This tool applies the specific gravity of substances to convert Mass (kg) to Volume (L) correctly. It is essential for scaling recipes, mixing chemical solutions, or calculating fuel requirements where mass-based metering meets volume-based storage.

Formulas

Volume in liters is derived from the mass and the substance"s density relative to water (Specific Gravity) or absolute density.

V_(L) = m_(kg)ρ_(kg/L)

If the density is given in kg/m³, divide by 1000 to get kg/L.

Reference Data

Substance	Density (kg/L)	1 kg equals (L)
Water (4°C)	1.000	1.000
Vegetable Oil	0.920	1.087
Milk (Whole)	1.030	0.971
Gasoline	0.750	1.333
Honey	1.420	0.704
Ethanol	0.789	1.267
Olive Oil	0.918	1.089
Sea Water	1.025	0.976
Mercury	13.53	0.074
Kerosene	0.820	1.220

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Liquids expand when heated, lowering their density. For example, water at 100°C is about 4% less dense than at 4°C. For high-precision chemistry, temperature corrections are necessary. This tool uses standard densities at approx. 20°C unless otherwise noted.

Technically yes, but dry ingredients have "bulk density" which varies heavily by how tightly packed they are. It is much less accurate than liquid conversion. We recommend using a scale for dry goods rather than converting to volume.

Oil is less dense than water (approx. 0.92 kg/L). Because it is "lighter", you need more volume of it to make up the same weight mass. Thus, 1 kg of oil occupies about 1.09 liters.