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Calcimator

Rock Density Calculator

Calculate bulk density, grain density, and porosity from dry, saturated, and submerged mass measurements.

Inputs

Results

Bulk Density

2.381 g/cm³

Grain Density

2.632 g/cm³

Porosity

9.52%

Saturated Density2.476 g/cm³
Bulk Volume105 cm³
Pore Volume10 cm³
Water Absorption4%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Weigh the dry rock sample in grams and record the Dry Mass.
  2. Saturate the sample and weigh again to get the Saturated Mass in grams.
  3. Suspend the saturated sample in water and record the Submerged Mass using Archimedes' method.
  4. Review Bulk Density, Grain Density, and Porosity percentage as the primary petrophysical outputs.
  5. Check Water Absorption percentage to assess weathering susceptibility and engineering suitability.

How the result changes with Saturated Mass (g)

Saturated Mass (g)Bulk DensityGrain DensityPorosity
10,0000.025 g/cm³2.632 g/cm³99.04%
35,0000.007 g/cm³2.632 g/cm³99.73%
65,0000.004 g/cm³2.632 g/cm³99.85%
90,0000.003 g/cm³2.632 g/cm³99.89%

What each input means

Dry Mass (g)
Mass of the oven-dried rock sample in grams.
Saturated Mass (g)
Mass of the rock sample after full water saturation in grams. Must be ≥ dry mass.
Submerged Mass (g)
Mass of the saturated sample weighed while submerged in water (buoyant mass) in grams.

How this is calculated

Formula

Bulk Density = Dry Mass / (Saturated Mass − Submerged Mass)

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Dry Mass (g) = 250, Saturated Mass (g) = 260, Submerged Mass (g) = 155 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Bulk Density
    Bulk Density
    2.381 = 2.381
  3. Calculate Grain Density
    Grain Density
    2.632 = 2.632
  4. Calculate Porosity
    Porosity
    9.52 = 9.52
  5. Calculate Saturated Density
    Saturated Density
    2.476 = 2.476
  6. Calculate Bulk Volume
    Bulk Volume
    105 = 105

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