Water Displacement Calculator | Find the Volume via Water Level Change

A Water Displacement measurement is a way to determine an object’s volume by measuring how much water it displaces when submerged in water. When an object is placed in water, the volume of water displaced by it can be calculated by measuring the change in water level. Objects with irregular shapes can be accurately calculated using this technique.

Water Displacement Calculator – Instantly Find the Volume of an Object via Water Level Change

Initial Water Level (before object is submerged) Enter the starting water level in your container (in mL, L, or cm³).

Final Water Level (after object is submerged) Enter the water level after the object is fully submerged (same units as above).

Units Milliliters (mL) Liters (L) Cubic Centimeters (cm³) Select the unit used above. 1 mL = 1 cm³.

(Optional) Object Density If you'd like to estimate the object's mass, enter its density (g/cm³). Leave blank to skip.

Example Presets: Small Metal Cube (Initial: 1,000 mL, Final: 1,120 mL, Units: mL, Density: 7.87) Plastic Toy (Initial: 500 mL, Final: 550 mL, Units: mL, Density: 1.05) Large Rock (Initial: 2,000 L, Final: 2,250 L, Units: L, Density: 2.65) Irregular Fruit (Initial: 800 cm³, Final: 1,050 cm³, Units: cm³, Density: 0.95) Unknown Object (Initial: 1,200 mL, Final: 1,325 mL, Units: mL, Density: )

Calculate Reset

Calculating...

Our team converts drinks into code — fuel us to build more free tools!

Cite or Embed:

APA Citation: Copy Citation

Link to this calculator: Copy Link

Embed this calculator: Copy Embed Code

Linking and sharing helps support free tools like this — thank you!

About Water Displacement Calculator and Formula:

The water displacement calculator measures the amount of water that is displaced by an object to determine its density, volume, or both. It is commonly used in science experiments to determine the density of irregularly shaped objects, such as rocks.

D = m / (FW – IW)

Where:

• D is the density in g/mL
• m is the mass of the object in grams
• FW is the final water level in mL
• IW is the initial water level in mL

The water displacement method requires filling a container with water and measuring the initial level. After placing the object in water, measure the new level. Using the formula above, you can calculate the density of an object by dividing its mass by the volume of water it displaces. By dividing the mass of the object by the volume of water it displaces, you get the difference between the initial and final water levels.

Objects submerged in a fluid are buoyant because of Archimedes’ principle, which states that the weight of the fluid they displace equals the buoyant force on them. The volume of water displaced by an object can be used to calculate its density and volume.