Common Conversions: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 Litres to Kilograms
Quick reference charts for converting 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 liters to kilograms for water, oil, milk, and fuel. Find exactly how many litres in a kilo.
Read articleConvert Liters of Ethanol to KG
Convert litres to kilograms specifically for ethanol using its exact density of 0.789 kg/L.
How it works
Enter your volume and substance
Type the amount in litres and pick your substance from the list — or choose Custom and enter its density in kg/L.
Flip the direction if you need it
Switch Convert to Kilograms → Litres to turn a weight back into a volume using the same density.
Read the result and the formula
See the answer in kilograms, pounds, millilitres and gallons, with the exact formula shown beneath it.
How to Convert Liters of Ethanol to Kilograms
For ethanol, the density is 0.789 kg/L. Litres measure volume — the space something takes up — while kilograms measure mass, the amount of matter. You cannot turn one into the other without knowing the substance's density: how much mass fits into one litre. For water at 4°C the density is 1 kg/L, so 1 litre weighs exactly 1 kg; for every other substance the answer is different. The formula is simply kilograms equals litres multiplied by density (kg = L × density), and to reverse it, litres equals kilograms divided by density (L = kg ÷ density). Because density in kg/L is numerically identical to grams per millilitre, any food or product label that lists g/mL can be used directly. In practice that means 1 litre of honey (1.42 kg/L) weighs 1.42 kg, 1 litre of petrol (0.74 kg/L) weighs 0.74 kg, and 1 litre of whole milk (1.03 kg/L) weighs 1.03 kg — the convenient 1 litre = 1 kg shortcut only holds true for water.
kg = Litres × Density (kg/L)
L = kg ÷ Density (kg/L)
Water: 1 L × 1.000 = 1.000 kg
Honey: 1 L × 1.420 = 1.420 kg
Petrol: 1 L × 0.740 = 0.740 kg
Milk: 1 L × 1.030 = 1.030 kgExample
Convert 5 litres of olive oil to kilograms. Olive oil has a density of 0.910 kg/L, so kg = 5 × 0.910 = 4.55 kg. In pounds that is 4.55 ÷ 0.4536 ≈ 10.03 lb. Reversing it: 4.55 kg ÷ 0.910 = 5 L.
Worked examples
| Scenario | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 L of water (cooking) | 2 × 0.998 kg/L | 1.996 kg |
| 10 L of diesel (vehicle) | 10 × 0.835 kg/L | 8.35 kg |
| 0.5 L of honey (baking) | 0.5 × 1.420 kg/L | 0.71 kg |
| 3 L of whole milk | 3 × 1.030 kg/L | 3.09 kg |
| 20 L of petrol (fuel calc) | 20 × 0.740 kg/L | 14.8 kg |
Conversion reference
| Substance | Density (kg/L) | 1 L = | 5 L = | 10 L = |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (pure, 20°C) | 0.998 | 0.998 kg | 4.99 kg | 9.98 kg |
| Water (4°C, max density) | 1.000 | 1 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg |
| Seawater | 1.025 | 1.025 kg | 5.125 kg | 10.25 kg |
| Milk (whole) | 1.030 | 1.03 kg | 5.15 kg | 10.3 kg |
| Milk (skim) | 1.035 | 1.035 kg | 5.175 kg | 10.35 kg |
| Honey | 1.420 | 1.42 kg | 7.1 kg | 14.2 kg |
| Olive Oil | 0.910 | 0.91 kg | 4.55 kg | 9.1 kg |
| Sunflower Oil | 0.920 | 0.92 kg | 4.6 kg | 9.2 kg |
| Vegetable Oil | 0.915 | 0.915 kg | 4.575 kg | 9.15 kg |
| Corn Oil | 0.922 | 0.922 kg | 4.61 kg | 9.22 kg |
| Maple Syrup | 1.370 | 1.37 kg | 6.85 kg | 13.7 kg |
| Ethanol (alcohol) | 0.789 | 0.789 kg | 3.945 kg | 7.89 kg |
| Beer | 1.005 | 1.005 kg | 5.025 kg | 10.05 kg |
| Wine | 0.990 | 0.99 kg | 4.95 kg | 9.9 kg |
| Petrol (gasoline) | 0.740 | 0.74 kg | 3.7 kg | 7.4 kg |
| Diesel | 0.835 | 0.835 kg | 4.175 kg | 8.35 kg |
| Kerosene | 0.820 | 0.82 kg | 4.1 kg | 8.2 kg |
| Propane (liquid) | 0.493 | 0.493 kg | 2.465 kg | 4.93 kg |
| Engine Oil (SAE 30) | 0.880 | 0.88 kg | 4.4 kg | 8.8 kg |
| Bleach (household) | 1.080 | 1.08 kg | 5.4 kg | 10.8 kg |
| Sulphuric Acid (conc.) | 1.840 | 1.84 kg | 9.2 kg | 18.4 kg |
| Flour (wheat, packed) | 0.593 | 0.593 kg | 2.965 kg | 5.93 kg |
| Sugar (white, granulated) | 0.845 | 0.845 kg | 4.225 kg | 8.45 kg |
| Salt (table, fine) | 1.200 | 1.2 kg | 6 kg | 12 kg |
| Concrete (wet mix) | 2.300 | 2.3 kg | 11.5 kg | 23 kg |
| Sand (dry) | 1.600 | 1.6 kg | 8 kg | 16 kg |
Quick facts
- Water at 4°C has a density of exactly 1.000 kg/L — the SI reference standard (BIPM) and the only case where 1 litre equals 1 kilogram.
- Honey is about 42% denser than water: 1 litre of honey weighs 1.42 kg.
- 1 litre of petrol weighs only about 740 g — roughly 26% lighter than the same volume of water.
- Density in kg/L is numerically identical to grams per millilitre (g/mL), so a label reading 1.03 g/mL is also 1.03 kg/L.
- Wet concrete is the densest everyday material here at 2.30 kg/L, so 1 litre weighs 2.3 kg.
From the blog
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Read articleKG to Liter Converter: How to Turn Kilograms Back Into Volume
Need to convert kilograms to liters? Here is the exact formula, a reverse density table, and the kg to liter converter you need to get it right.
Read articleFrequently asked questions
Multiply the volume in litres by the substance's density in kg/L: kilograms = litres × density. For example, 3 litres of milk at 1.03 kg/L is 3 × 1.03 = 3.09 kg. Look up the density in the table above or read it from the product label.
The convert liter to kg formula is: Mass (kg) = Volume (L) × Density (kg/L). To use this formula, you must know the specific density of the material you are converting. For water, the density is 1, so the formula simplifies to kg = L × 1.
No, liters and kilograms measure two completely different properties. Liters measure volume (how much space something takes up), while kilograms measure mass (how heavy it is). They are only equivalent for pure water at 4°C, where 1 liter happens to weigh exactly 1 kilogram.
1 litre of water weighs almost exactly 1 kilogram. At its densest point (4°C) the density is exactly 1.000 kg/L, and at room temperature (20°C) it drops slightly to about 0.998 kg/L, so 1 litre is roughly 0.998 kg.
About 1.03 kg. Whole milk has a density near 1.030 kg/L because the dissolved proteins, sugars and minerals make it slightly heavier than water, so 1 litre weighs a little over a kilogram.
Cooking and fuel oils are lighter than water, so 1 litre weighs less than 1 kg. Olive oil (0.91 kg/L) gives 0.91 kg per litre, and most vegetable and sunflower oils fall between 0.91 and 0.92 kg/L.
No. The 1 litre = 1 kg rule is only true for pure water. Anything denser than water (honey, milk, seawater) weighs more per litre, and anything lighter (oil, petrol, ethanol) weighs less, so you must use the substance's density.
Multiply the litres by the fuel's density: petrol is about 0.74 kg/L and diesel about 0.835 kg/L. So 20 litres of petrol is 20 × 0.74 = 14.8 kg, while 20 litres of diesel is 20 × 0.835 = 16.7 kg.
Density in kg/L tells you how many kilograms one litre of a substance weighs. It is the bridge between volume and mass, and it is numerically the same as grams per millilitre (g/mL), so the two units are interchangeable in this formula.
Check the product label (values shown as g/mL or specific gravity equal the density in kg/L), use a reference table like the one above, or measure it yourself by dividing a known mass in kilograms by its volume in litres.
Yes, pure water at 4°C is the only substance where 1 kg water equal to 1 litre. At room temperature, it is extremely close (about 0.998 litres). But remember, can we convert liter to kg for other liquids without knowing their density? No, the 1:1 rule only works for water.
How many litres is equal to 1 kg depends entirely on the substance. For water, it is 1 litre. For lighter liquids like oil, 1 kg is more than a litre (about 1.1 litres). For heavy liquids like honey, 1 kg is less than a litre (about 0.7 litres). You always divide 1 kg by the density to find the volume.
No, is 1 litre of oil equal to 1 kg? The answer is no because oil is lighter than water. One litre of most cooking oils weighs between 0.91 and 0.92 kg. If you are wondering how many kilo in a litre of oil, it is around 0.91 kg.
To find out how many kilo in a litre, you just need to know the density. One litre of water has 1 kilo, one litre of milk has about 1.03 kilos, and one litre of petrol has roughly 0.74 kilos.
If you are wondering how to convert liter to kg, or specifically how to convert 1 liter to kg, the process is the same: multiply by density. But how convert liter to kg when you don't know the density? You must look it up on our table or use a unit converter liter to kg.
Is 1 litre equal to 1 kg? Is a kg equal to 1 litre? Is one litre equal to one kg? These are the most common questions, and the answer is only 'yes' for pure water. For water, the convert 1 liter water to kg conversion is exactly 1. So if you ask how many kilos in a litre of water or convert liter to kg water, the answer is 1.
Yes, is 1 kg equal to 1 litre of water? Absolutely. And is 1 litre water equal to 1 kg? Yes. This makes water the perfect 1 liter to 1 kg converter. But remember, is 1 litre of milk equal to 1 kg? No, milk is denser (1.03 kg).
If you need to know how many kg to a litre, or how many litre is equal to 1 kg, use the formula kg = L × density. For water, 1 litre in kilos is 1 kg, and 2 litres in kilos is 2 kg. If you are asking how many litres in a kilo litre (which is 1000 litres), it's 1000.
Wondering how to convert kg into litres? The formula is litres = kg ÷ density. It is essentially a reverse mass to volume calculation. Note: If you are looking to convert mg kg to micrograms per liter, that is a concentration conversion, not a mass-to-volume conversion for pure substances.
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