Temperature, Density, and Specific Gravity of Water

1. Temperature vs. Density (ρ)

  • As temperature increases, the density of water decreases due to thermal expansion.
  • Water is most dense at 4°C (ρ ≈ 1000 kg/m³).
  • Below and above 4°C, density decreases.
  • Near the boiling point (100°C), density drops significantly (≈958 kg/m³).
  • At the critical point (374.14°C), water’s density is much lower (≈322 kg/m³).

2. Density vs. Specific Gravity (SG)

  • For water, SG is always 1.000 at the reference temperature (commonly 4°C or 60°F).
  • At other temperatures, SG can be computed as:

Temperature (°C) Density (kg/m³) Specific Gravity
0999.840.9998
41000.001.0000
5999.990.9999
10999.700.9997
15999.100.9991
20998.210.9982
25997.050.9971
30995.650.9957
35994.030.9940
40992.220.9922
45990.200.9902
50988.050.9881
55985.670.9857
60983.200.9832
65980.530.9805
70977.760.9778
75974.850.9749
80971.800.9718
85968.630.9686
90965.300.9653
95961.880.9619
100958.350.9584
Temperature (°C) Density (kg/m³) Specific Gravity
105954.700.9547
110950.900.9509
115947.000.9470
120943.000.9430
125938.800.9388
130934.400.9344
135929.900.9299
140925.200.9252
145920.300.9203
150915.200.9152
155909.900.9099
160904.400.9044
165898.700.8987
170892.700.8927
175886.500.8865
180880.000.8800
185873.200.8732
190866.100.8661
195858.600.8586
200850.700.8507
Temperature (°C) Density (kg/m³) Specific Gravity
205842.300.8423
210833.400.8334
215823.900.8239
220813.600.8136
225802.400.8024
230790.100.7901
235776.500.7765
240761.200.7612
245743.900.7439
250724.100.7241
260678.900.6789
270628.000.6280
280571.300.5713
290508.500.5085
300439.100.4391
325215.000.2150
35058.000.0580
3740.000.0000
Source: IAPWS and NIST Chemistry WebBook — Water Density and Properties Data.