Volume to Weight Calculator
Shipping volumetric weight (what carriers bill) — or material weight from density.
Enter a box below and the billable weight appears here — the number your carrier charges you for, after its divisor, its dimension rounding and its weight rounding.
Enter a box below and the billable weight appears here — the number your carrier charges you for, after its divisor, its dimension rounding and its weight rounding.
Volume to Weight by Material Density
| Water | 1,000 kg |
| Petrol | 745 kg |
| Dry sand | 1,600 kg |
| Concrete | 2,400 kg |
| Steel | 7,850 kg |
| Express freight (billed) | 200 kg |
| Air cargo (billed) | 167 kg |
Volume to Weight: Two Different Questions
“Volume to weight” means two different things. Shipping: carriers convert your parcel’s volume into a volumetric weight and bill the greater of that and the scale weight — use the calculator at the top. Physics: a material’s real weight is volume × density — use the material converter. Same phrase, different math; this page does both so you don’t have to guess which one you needed.
Volume to Weight Density Reference
For physical materials, weight = volume × density. These are handbook values at room temperature; bulk/loose materials vary with compaction and moisture, so treat them as estimates.
| Material | kg per m³ | kg per litre | lb per ft³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (4 °C) | 1,000 | 1.00 | 62.4 |
| Milk | 1,030 | 1.03 | 64.3 |
| Cooking oil | 920 | 0.92 | 57.4 |
| Petrol / gasoline | 745 | 0.75 | 46.5 |
| Sand (dry, loose) | 1,600 | 1.60 | 99.9 |
| Gravel | 1,680 | 1.68 | 104.9 |
| Cement powder | 1,440 | 1.44 | 89.9 |
| Concrete (cured) | 2,400 | 2.40 | 149.8 |
| Soil (loose) | 1,200 | 1.20 | 74.9 |
| Pine timber | 500 | 0.50 | 31.2 |
| Aluminium | 2,700 | 2.70 | 168.6 |
| Steel | 7,850 | 7.85 | 490.1 |
Volume to Weight Unit Conversions
- 1 m³ = 1,000 litres = 1,000,000 cm³ = 35.31 ft³ = 264.2 US gallons
- 1 litre = 1,000 cm³ = 0.001 m³ = 0.2642 US gallons
- 1 ft³ = 28.32 litres = 0.02832 m³ = 1,728 in³
- 1 US gallon = 3.785 litres; 1 imperial gallon = 4.546 litres
Working Backwards: Weight to Volume
Reverse the formula — volume = weight ÷ density. A 500 kg pile of dry sand occupies 500 ÷ 1,600 = 0.31 m³; 500 kg of pine timber occupies 500 ÷ 500 = 1.0 m³, more than three times the space for the same weight. This is exactly why carriers price on volume: the timber consumes triple the truck space for identical scale weight.
Which number does a carrier want?
Freight paperwork asks for gross weight (scale weight including packaging) and dimensions — the carrier derives volumetric weight itself. Material density only matters to you: it tells you whether your shipment will be billed on volume or on the scale. Anything denser than about 200 kg/m³ as packed will bill on actual weight with express couriers; anything lighter bills on volume. Check your own boxes with the volumetric weight calculator or see every carrier factor on the DIM divisor chart.
Volume to Weight FAQ
How do I convert volume to weight?+
It depends on what you mean. For shipping, volume converts to a billable "volumetric weight": L × W × H (cm) ÷ a carrier divisor (5,000 for express couriers, 6,000 for air cargo). For physical materials, weight = volume × density: 1 m³ of water is 1,000 kg, 1 m³ of dry sand ≈ 1,600 kg.
How many kg is 1 m³ in shipping?+
Express couriers (DHL/UPS/FedEx): 1 m³ = 200 kg volumetric (÷5,000). IATA air cargo: 1 m³ ≈ 167 kg (÷6,000). Australian domestic (cubic weight): 1 m³ = 250 kg. Sea freight LCL: 1 CBM is rated against 1,000 kg (W/M rule).
How do I convert litres to kg?+
Multiply litres by the material’s density in kg/L. Water is 1 kg/L, so 25 L of water = 25 kg. Cooking oil ≈ 0.92 kg/L, petrol ≈ 0.75 kg/L. Use the material converter above and pick or type the density.
Why is my shipped weight higher than the scale weight?+
Carriers bill the greater of actual and volumetric weight. A light, bulky box "weighs" more in billing terms because it occupies space — use the shipping calculator above to see which weight wins.
Can I convert weight back to volume?+
Yes — volume = weight ÷ density. 500 kg of dry sand ÷ 1,600 kg/m³ ≈ 0.31 m³. Type your density into the material converter and work in reverse.