Sometimes, you need to know the density of gasoline (also referred to as the ‘specific gravity of gasoline‘). We can express the density of gasoline in different density units, namely kg/m3 (kilograms per cubic meter), lb/gallon (pounds per gallon), kg/L (kilograms per liter), and lb/ft3 (pounds per cubic foot).
Gasoline is one of the lightest (low-density) fossil fuels. At standard 59ยฐF (15ยฐC) temperature, the density of gasoline ranges from 715 kg/m3 to 780 kg/m3. We usually operate with the international standard density of 755 kg/m3. For comparison, diesel fuel densities here are in the 849-959 kg/m3 range.
kg/m3 is the most commonly used gasoline density unit. However, many of us want to know what the density of gasoline is in pounds per gallon or kilograms per liter (since we put gallons or liters of gas into our cars, not cubic meters).
Here is the chart of gasoline density in these other units (international standard gasoline density):
Density Of Gasoline Chart
| kg/m3: | lb/gal: | kg/L: | lb/ft3: | g/cm3: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline Density: | 755 kg/m3 | 6.30 lb/gal | 0.755 kg/L | 7.48 lb/ft3 | 0.120 g/cm3 |
Let’s just spell these out to get a good grip on densities:
- Density of gasoline in lb/gallon is 6.30 lb/gallon. That means that 1 gallon weighs 6.30 lbs. 5 gallons of gasoline thus weighs 31.5 lbs.
- Density of gasoline in kg/L is 0.755 kg/L. That means that 1 liter of gasoline weighs 0.755 kg (1L of water, for comparison, weighs 1 kg). If you put 50 liter of gasoline in your car tank, you are adding 37.75 kg of gasoline.
- You can also say that gasoline density is 7.48 lb/ft3. That means that 1 cubic foot of gasoline weighs 7.45 pounds.
- g/cm3 is less used density unit. Namely, 1 cubic centimeter of gas weighs 0.120 grams.
We hope that you now have a good grip on gasoline densities in all relevant density units. If you have any questions about this, you can use the comment section below, ask a question, and we’ll get right back to you.
Those values for lb/ft3 and g/cm3 do not look correct.
How so, Michael?