The density of lead is about 11.34 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), which is 11,340 kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³) at room temperature.

Quick Scoop: What Is the Density of Lead?

If you pick up a small block of lead, it feels surprisingly heavy for its size—that “heaviness” is exactly what its density describes. In simple terms, density tells you how much mass is packed into a given volume, and lead packs a lot.

  • Typical value used in engineering and physics:
    • 11.34 g/cm³.
* 11,340 kg/m³.

* Around 0.409 lb/in³ in imperial units.
  • This is over eleven times the density of water (1 g/cm³), so a volume of lead weighs more than eleven times the same volume of water.
  • Pure, high‑grade lead is usually quoted at this standard density; small variations occur with temperature and impurities.

Think of a dice‑sized cube: if it’s made of wood, it feels light; if it’s lead, the same little cube suddenly feels like a mini paperweight. That difference is density in action.

Why Lead Is So Dense

Lead’s density comes from both its heavy atoms and the way those atoms are packed.

  • Atomic mass:
    • Lead atoms are relatively heavy, so each atom contributes a lot of mass.
  • Crystal structure:
    • Lead has a close‑packed metallic structure, which means atoms sit very tightly together, shrinking the volume for a given number of atoms.
  • Result:
    • High mass in a small volume → high density (11.34 g/cm³).

This combination makes lead denser than many familiar metals like iron (7.87 g/cm³), copper (8.93 g/cm³), or zinc (7.14 g/cm³).

Does Lead’s Density Ever Change?

The “11.34 g/cm³” number is a standard reference at room temperature and normal pressure. In real‑world use, a few factors can tweak the exact value slightly:

  • Temperature:
    • As temperature rises, metals expand a bit; volume increases, so density drops slightly.
  • Pressure:
    • Under very high pressure, volume compresses and density can increase, though everyday conditions hardly affect it.
  • Purity and alloys:
    • Very pure lead (≈99.99%) sits near 11.34 g/cm³.
* Adding other elements (antimony, tin, calcium, etc.) to make alloys can lower the density slightly (for example, trace antimony can drop it to around 11.29 g/cm³).

How Heavy Is Lead Compared to Other Metals?

Here’s a compact look at how lead stacks up:

[5][9] [8] [7] [7] [1][5][9][7] [8][3]
Material Approx. Density (g/cm³) Notes
Water 1 Reference point for relative density.
Aluminum ≈2.7 Common lightweight metal.
Iron ≈7.87 Typical structural metal, less dense than lead.
Copper ≈8.93 Dense, but still lighter than lead.
Lead 11.34 Very dense common metal.
Osmium ≈22.59 Among the densest known metals, about twice lead.
This is why lead shows up in applications where you want a lot of weight in a small space, like diving weights, radiation shielding, and counterweights.

Mini Forum‑Style Takeaway

“So, what is the density of lead, really?” In most science, engineering, and online discussions today, people use 11.34 g/cm³ (11,340 kg/m³) as the go‑to value for the density of pure lead at room temperature.

If you’re doing any calculation—whether for a school problem, a hobby casting project, or a design estimate—using 11.34 g/cm³ (or 11,340 kg/m³) is the standard, accepted number. TL;DR: The density of lead is about 11.34 g/cm³, or 11,340 kg/m³, making it one of the heaviest widely used metals.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.