g/cm³ to kg/m³

Every materials datasheet speaks two languages. The PDF says 2.7 g/cm³ — aluminum, instantly readable. The structural analysis software on your desktop wants 2,700 kg/m³, and the difference between them is exactly 1,000, always, for every material. This page does that multiplication.

1 g/cm³ = 1,000 kg/m³, and 1 kg/m³ = 0.001 g/cm³. Every value on this page scales by the same factor: multiply g/cm³ by 1,000. Worked: 10 g/cm³ = 10,000 kg/m³; 100 g/cm³ = 100,000 kg/m³.

By EnginStack Editorial Team | Reviewed against NIST, BIPM and primary-source documentation About →
g/cm³
2,700 kg/m³
2.7 g/cm³ = 2,700 kg/m³ 2.7 kg/m³ = 0.0027 g/cm³

Authority: NIST SP 811 (SI usage guide) and the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement. The coefficient above is a defined value — it does not come from measurement and carries no uncertainty.

g/cm³ to kg/m³

Every materials datasheet speaks two languages. The PDF says 2.7 g/cm³ — aluminum, instantly readable. The structural analysis software on your desktop wants 2,700 kg/m³, and the difference between them is exactly 1,000, always, for every material. This page does that multiplication.

kg/m³ = g/cm³ × 1,000
1 g/cm³ = 1,000 kg/m³ — exact SI definition
The factor is exact — derived from SI definitions and the 1959 yard/pound agreement.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Convert aluminum into analysis-software units

2.7 × 1,000 = 2,700 kg/m³

Example 2: Convert carbon steel into SI base units

7.85 × 1,000 = 7,850 kg/m³

Example 3: Convert water into SI base units

1 × 1,000 = 1,000 kg/m³

Common g/cm³ to kg/m³ Conversions

g/cm³kg/m³Material / context
1 g/cm³1,000 kg/m³Water — the definitional anchor.
0.917 g/cm³917 kg/m³Ice — floats on water.
1.025 g/cm³1,025 kg/m³Seawater.
2.7 g/cm³2,700 kg/m³Aluminum.
7.85 g/cm³7,850 kg/m³Carbon steel.
8.96 g/cm³8,960 kg/m³Copper.
13.6 g/cm³13,600 kg/m³Mercury.
19.3 g/cm³19,300 kg/m³Gold.
22.59 g/cm³22,590 kg/m³Osmium — densest element.

Engineering Context

Density links the mass and volume families on this site — it is their ratio. For the mass numerator, the kg to g and lbs to kg converters carry the same 1959 constants that appear here; for the volume denominator, the liters to mL and cubic feet to cubic meters pages supply the cubed lengths. The density hub collects all ten converters in this family.

This pair is a pure power-of-ten shift, and that is precisely why it fails quietly. Structural analysis software works in SI base units, so every input must be kg/m³, and a datasheet value entered without the shift makes the model a thousand times too light. The model still solves, the deflections still look smooth, and the first sign of trouble is a natural frequency three orders of magnitude out or a mass summary that does not match the bill of materials. Unit errors of this shape do not produce errors, they produce results, which is what makes them expensive.

More: kg/m³ to g/cm³ · g/cm³ to lb/ft³ · g/cm³ to lb/in³ · kg/m³ to lb/ft³ · Density Guide · Density

Related Unit Converters

kg/m³ to g/cm³ g/cm³ to lb/ft³ g/cm³ to lb/in³ kg/m³ to lb/ft³ Density Conversion Guide Density Converters

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1 g/cm³ the same as 1 kg/L?

Yes — 1 g/cm³ = 1 kg/L = 1,000 kg/m³, all exact. The liter is defined as 1,000 cubic centimeters, so a gram per cubic centimeter is a kilogram per liter. Water sits at 1 in all three.

Why does the FEA model want kg/m³?

Because the coherent SI unit keeps the math clean. When mass appears in kilograms and volume in cubic meters, forces land in newtons and pressures in pascals. g/cm³ is fine for reading a table; kg/m³ is right for computing with it.

Is the 1,000 factor ever not exact?

Never. The relationship is a definitional consequence of SI prefixes — a gram is 10⁻³ kilograms and a cubic centimeter is 10⁻⁶ cubic meters. There is no measured constant involved.