One of those many questions that people have, either because they need to know or out of curiosity, is if all liquids measure the same
Or not, which liquids weigh the most, and which are the lightest?
Contrary to what you might think, not all liquids weigh the same in pounds and ounces
Like solids, liquids have different densities and components, which determine how heavy they are
However, while they are similar, liquids of the same volume do not weigh the same
Different liquids, such as water, oil, milk, liquid, and so many more, have different densities
How much does water weigh? Here is a table showing how much different amounts of water weigh
Because water is the most common of all liquids, it is often compared to other liquids in terms of weight and density
VolumeWeight (oz) Weight (g)1 quart33382 oz94635 g1 gallon13353 oz3,7854 g1 milliliter00353 oz1 g1 liter35274 oz1,000 gNow you know how much water weighs different amounts, we can stack against other liquids and see how they compare
Mercury is the heaviest water on earth, which is the heaviest liquid
Mercury is 136 times denser than water, which means quite a bit more weight per gallon
However, mercury in its liquid form is very harmful, so you should definitely not weigh the two liquids yourself
Iron, iron, and lead are heavier than water when they melt into a liquid
For example, water is more than a million times denser than hydrogen in its liquid form and is therefore more than a million times heavier
Liquid propane, which millions of people around the world rely on for their energy, weighs half as much as water
But in terms of liquids that we use or see every day, alcohol and oil are two of the lightest on earth
Alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, and isopropyl weigh about 79 grams per cubic meter, while water weighs a gram per cubic meter
If you’ve ever mixed oil and water, you’ve probably noticed that the oil floats on top of the water and doesn’t mix with it
This is because oil is lighter than water
But alcohol, as we have just learned, is a little lighter than water, which seems to indicate that wine is lighter than water
However, on average, wine is only about 10% alcohol, the rest is made up of sugar and other additives
Basically, it all depends on what kind of wine you’re getting the water from
A wine high in alcohol content and low in sugar will weigh less than water
However, certain commercial wines high in sugar content and only medium in alcohol content will weigh the same amount as water or more
Does Alcohol Sink or Float? If you ever try to mix pure alcohol like ethanol, methanol, or isopropyl with water, you will have a tough time
Pure alcohol is lighter than water, which means it floats on top of it rather than mixing or sinking to the bottom
Is water heavier than coffee? Whether water is heavier than coffee depends on the type and texture of the coffee
Whole coffee beans are expected to be submerged in water which means it is denser
However, liquid coffee is different in weight and density than whole coffee beans
See also How long after taking Ibuprofen can you drink alcohol? In theory you would think coffee and water weigh the same
Do milk and water cost the same? Milk and water are two very similar liquids in terms of weight and texture
But milk weighs slightly more than water, when you compare a gallon of milk with a gallon of water
Milk consists of only 87% water and other heavier components, except for fat
Fat is lighter than water, so in theory, if milk has enough fat, it can be as light as water
But very rarely, if ever, is there enough fat in the milk to be equal in weight to the water
A pyramid based on household liquids and what they weigh, from heaviest to lightest: syrup, milk, water, oil, and alcohol