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Weight of Water| Properties of Water

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Water is important to our existence, serving as a source of hydration, leisure, and so much more. Understanding how temperature, condition, and density impact the weight of the water can also aid us when cooking.

What Is the Weight of Water?

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a cup of water weighs approximately 224 grams (half a pound). According to the United States Geological Survey, a liter of water weighs roughly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) (USGS). According to the USGS, a gallon of water weighs approximately 3.79 kilograms (8.35 pounds).

When it comes to cooking, water weight is crucial. Many recipes use weighted components rather than set proportions such as teaspoons or cups. So, if you don’t have a food scale, knowing roughly how many various amounts of water weigh may help you ace any meal.

  • A liter of water weighs around 2.21 pounds.
  • At room temperature, one US liquid gallon of fresh water weighs approximately 8.34 pounds (lb) or 3.785 kilograms (kg).

Variations in the Weight of Water

According to the USGS, the weight of water is approximate since it can change depending on conditions such as temperature and pressure. It may also change if there are chemicals in the water, such as salt.

Water Density

The amount of material per unit volume is referred to as density. It is the material’s mass-to-volume ratio. If we mix wood and iron in equal proportions. We will discover that iron is heavier than wood. This is due to the fact that iron has more substance than wood.
Density (ρ) formula = material mass (m) volume (v)
At 4.0°C (39.2°F), the density of water in g/ml is 0.9998395. This is equivalent to one gram per milliliter (g/ml) or one gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).

Density of Water lbs/U.S gal is 8.345 lbs/U.S. gal. This is equal to a rounded value of  1 gram per milliliter (g/ml) or 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).

Weight vs. Mass

A body’s mass is the amount of matter it possesses, whereas its weight is equal to the force with which the earth attracts it. Mass, unlike weight, is a scalar quantity whose value can never be zero. For details check the full article (Weight vs. Mass)

mass vs weight, mass is the quantity of matter in an object and weight is the pull of earth towards its centre

The Density of Water lbs/U.S gal

At 4 degrees Celsius, the density of water is 8.345 lbs/US gal. Therefore the density of water in lbs/U.S gal is equivalent to one gram per milliliter (g/ml) or one gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).

Units of Gallon

There are three different Units of Gallon:

Weight of a Gallon of WaterFluid ounces Liters lbs Kg
1 US gallon of water at 17 °C1283.7858.3453.785
1 Imperial gallon of water at 17 °C153.724.54510.024.545
1 US dry gallon of water at 17 °C 1284.4059.7114.405

How much does water weigh?

The weight of a gallon of water depends upon storing the temperature of the water, For the sake of the question, ‘How much does a gallon of water weigh?’, we are going to focus on the weight of fresh water at 62 °F (17 °C).

1 US gallon of water = 8.345 pounds = 3.785 kg (at 17 °C).
1 Imperial gallon of water = 10.02 pounds = 4.545 kg (at 17 °C).
Weight of 1 liter (l) of pure water (at 4 °C) = 1 kilogram (kg). 

How Many Water Bottles in a Gallon?

A gallon (gal) is 231 cubic inches in the United States, which is equivalent to 3.785 liters7.58 bottles of water. One gal is equal to 4.55 liters and 9.1 bottles in the Imperial system of the United Kingdom. Similarly, one gal contains 128 imperial fluid ounces whereas a half-gallon equals 64 fluid ounces.

Properties of Water

The density of water lb/U.S gallon8.345 lb/U.S gal
The density of water g/mL1 g/mL
The density of water g/cm31 g/cm3
The density of water kg/m31000 kg/m3
The density of water lb/ft362.4 lbs/ft3
Unit weight of water app 1 g/cm3 at 25 degrees Celsius
viscosity of water0.01 poise or 0.001 Pa.s (Pascal seconds) at 20 degrees Celsius
the specific gravity of water1 at 4 degrees Celsius  (no units)
a cubic foot of water weight62.48 pounds at room temperature.

Related Links

Hydrogen Bond| Definition and Easy Explanation

Atmospheric Pressure| Pascal, And Newton

Specific Heat of Water

Concentration Gradient Definition

What is Quarts Unit?

Condensation Reaction| Easy Explanation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Seawater is saline water with more concentration of dissolved salts. Its ρ is 1.0240 g/cm3 at 20°C and 1.0273 g/cm3 at 0°C at a constant salinity. 

On cooling, water continues to contract and reduce in volume until 4°C.
Beyond this temperature, its volume increases and becomes more than the initial volume.
Hence its ρwater decreases and becomes more than the initial volume.
This makes ice lighter than water, enabling it to float.

One US liquid gallon equals 16 cups and one US dry gallon equals 18.61 cups. One cup is one-half US pint (236.6 ml). For details, check the article How Many Cups in a Gallon? Cups to Pints, Quarts, and More

More Links

Thermal Conductivity of WaterBoiling of Water| Phenomenon and Factors Affecting
Soft Water vs. Hard WaterThe Otto Cycle| A Simple Overview
Gauge Pressure FormulaRelativistic Kinetic Energy| Easy Explanation
Is Boiling of Water a Chemical Change?Sublimation Definition & Process| Chemistry
Umair Javaid, PhD Student
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