Glass Weight Calculator (2024)

This glass weight calculator will help you answer questions like "What is the weight of glass?" and "How heavy is tempered glass?"

In the following article, you will learn some basic things about glass and, most importantly, how to calculate glass weight. We also included a table of the average values for the density of glass in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) for your reference. Keep on reading to learn about the different densities of various types of glass and how they affect the weight of glass, regardless of its thickness or volume.

What is glass?

Glass is an amorphous non-crystalline material made by solidifying molten silica (silicon dioxide) with other chemical compounds such as soda (sodium oxide) and lime (calcium oxide). Glass is brittle, fragile, and usually transparent and colorless. Still, we can also tint and improve its structural integrity by incorporating some inorganic compounds during the manufacturing process.

Glass Weight Calculator (1)

Incorporating boron trioxide into the mix will yield a borosilicate glass which is more thermal shock-resistant than regular soda-lime glass. You can also add some other chemical compounds, like magnesia, alumina, potash, iron oxide, and lead oxide, which, depending on their proportions, can also improve the glass's strength and durability. This can make them a bit harder to break than regular glass (or easier if you want to break through glass like a Hollywood actor).

We can also subject glass to various processes like heat-treatment (to produce tempered glass panels and fire glasses), lamination (to produce laminated glasses for windshield and window safety glasses), sandblasting or etching (to produce frosted glasses), and so much more.

Glass has so many applications that we now see it used almost everywhere. We can see glass framed in windows, bookshelves, and picture frames. We also find it in optical instruments like lenses for telescopes, microscopes, and eyeglasses, and as glassware like drinking glass, laboratory flasks, test tubes, manometers, and bowls.

What is the weight of a glass sheet?

The weight of glass depends on the type of glass it is made of and its dimensions. The thicker the glass is, the greater volume it has, and so the heavier it gets. Some glass types are also denser than others, depending on their chemical compositions. Here is a table of the average densities of various glass types on the market today:

Glass type

Density of glass (g/cm³)

Alkali silicate

3.0200

Aluminosilicate glass

2.6400

Annealed glass

2.5000

Blue ornamental

2.4880

Borosilicate glass

2.2300

Bottle glass

2.5000

Crown glass

2.5000

Double glazing

2.5125

Flint

3.7000

Laminated glass

2.4800

Lead crystal

2.9600

Pyrex

2.2700

Quartz

2.2110

Red ornamental

2.5540

Silica glass

2.2000

Soda lime silicate glass

2.4860

Tempered glass

2.5200

Window glass

2.5100

Zinc titania

2.5310

In engineering and construction, we always want to know how heavy our materials are, and glass's weight is no exception. Glass is fragile and expensive, so handling it requires extra care for both safety and to avoid breakage.

Partition walls used in offices and malls or the exterior glass curtains and windows that extend from floor to ceiling are extremely heavy and require sufficient support so that they don't fall on anyone. Knowing the glass's weight also helps us gauge how many people are needed to carry a glass sheet or how much multiple glass sheets would weigh on a delivery truck.

How to use our glass weight calculator?

Now that you understand the importance of knowing the weight of glass, let's learn how to find the weight of any glass material using our glass weight calculator:

  1. Select the glass type you desire. This will then display the density of that type of glass. If you want to check what the density of glass in lb/in³ is, you can simply change the unit next to its value.
  2. If you know the density of the glass type you are checking, you can enter it in the density field of our glass weight calculator.
  3. Select the shape of your glass piece and input its dimensions in the appropriate fields.
  4. Finally, enter the quantity of your glass pieces to find the total weight.

How to calculate glass weight using the density of glass?

Determining glass weight is very similar to finding the weight of materials in the shape of a plate or sheet. To find the weight of a particular glass sheet, we have to multiply its density by its volume, as shown in the formula below:

glass weight = glass density × glass volume

You can look up your glass sheet's density in our glass density table from the previous section. On the other hand, you can obtain the volume of your glass sheet by multiplying its area by its thickness, like in the following equation:

glass volume = glass area × glass thickness

If your glass material is in another shape, like a cylinder, cone, or prism, you can check their corresponding volume formulas in our volume calculator.

Now that we know how to calculate glass weight let us consider an example to understand the procedure further.

Sample calculation of glass weight

Glass Weight Calculator (2)

Let's say we want to build a cube-shaped aquarium made out of 5 pieces of 40 cm × 40 cm × 12 mm window glass sheets. To find the weight of a single sheet, we first have to obtain its volume by using the equation below :

glass volume = glass area × glass thickness

glass volume = 40 cm * 40 cm × 1.2 cm

glass volume = 1,920 cm³

Since we calculated the volume of a single sheet in cubic centimeters (cm³), we can multiply it by the grams per cubic centimeter density of glass (g/cm³) to directly obtain the glass weight in grams (g). From our table of glass densities, we can see that window glass density is 2.51 g/cm³. We can then find what the weight of a glass sheet as follows:

glass weight = glass density × glass volume

glass weight = 2.51 g/cm³ × 1,920 cm³

glass weight = 4,819.2 g = 4.8192 kg ≈ 4.82 kg

Since we need 5 sheets of this window glass, their total weight would be 4.82 kg × 5 = 24.1 kg. That's quite a heavy lift! To know how much water to put in this aquarium, you can check out our aquarium calculator or our tank volume calculator.

If you're wondering how heavy a tempered glass aquarium is, simply repeat the steps above, but multiply the volume obtained by the density of tempered glass, which is about 2.52 g/cm³. That's it! 🙂

🙋 Of course, don't forget to seal your glass joints with sealant. Check our sealant calculator to find out how much sealant you'll need for your gap-sealing projects. 🙂

FAQ

How do I calculate glass weight in kilograms?

To find the weight of a glass panel in kilograms,

  1. First, **measure your glass dimensions ** (length, width, and thickness) in centimeters.
  2. Then, obtain its volume by multiplying all these figures together.
  3. Multiply this volume by 2.5 g/cm³ to estimate its weight in grams.
  4. Finally, divide this weight by 1000 to get its weight in kilograms.

How much does glass weight per cubic foot?

A cubic foot of ordinary window glass weighs approximately 157 pounds or around 71 kilograms. However, a heavier type of glass, like lead crystal glass, weighs heavier at around 185 pounds per cubic foot. Flint glass even weighs even more at around 230 pounds per cubic foot. Different glass types differ in weights due to the compounds added to them during the manufacturing process.

How much does a window glass weigh?

Window glass weighs 2.51 grams per cubic centimeter of volume. A square meter of window glass with a thickness of 1 cm would weigh around 25.1 kg. By multiplying this weight by 2.54 cm, which equals 1 inch, we can then determine the weight of a 1-inch thick square meter window glass to be around 63.75 kg or around 140 pounds.

What is the density of glass in kg/m³?

The density of glass ranges from around 2,200 kg/m³ to around 3,700 kg/m³ and sometimes even more. Annealed glass is typically set to 2,500 kg/m³, while tempered glass's density is around 2,520 kg/m³. Other glass types like the borosilicate glass, even though they are treated to withstand high temperatures, are surprisingly lighter at around 2,230 kg/m³.

How heavy is a 1/2" tempered glass panel?

A 1/2" tempered glass panel weighs around 6.5 lbs/ft². Using this figure, we can say that a 4 ft × 8 ft (or 32 square feet) tempered glass panel used as an office partition would weigh around 208 lbs! Extreme care must be observed when handling such a heavy material to avoid breakage or any injury.

Glass Weight Calculator (2024)

FAQs

How to calculate the weight of glass? ›

Glass Weight in KG = Area of glass M2 (Length x Width) x Thickness of the glass x 2.5KG. So for instance: Say you had a section of 12mm thick glass, 1700mm x 500mm the equation would be as follows. So your section of glass would weigh in at 25.5KGs.

How do you calculate glass weight in pounds? ›

A square meter of window glass with a thickness of 1 cm would weigh around 25.1 kg. By multiplying this weight by 2.54 cm, which equals 1 inch, we can then determine the weight of a 1-inch thick square meter window glass to be around 63.75 kg or around 140 pounds.

What does 1 2 inch thick glass weigh? ›

Glass Performance Specs
Glass Weight Per Square Foot
Glass ThicknessLBS
3/8 (10.0 mm)4.78
1/2 (12.0 mm)6.36
3/4 (19.0 mm)9.1
5 more rows

How much weight can I put on glass? ›

For example, a 1-inch-thick length of tempered glass holds almost 200 pounds if its supports are 5 feet apart; the same glass shelf can hold more than 5,000 pounds if supports are 1 foot apart.

What is the correct formula for calculating the weight of an object? ›

W = mg. Here, “W” is the weight of the object, “m” is the mass of the object, and “g” is the acceleration due to gravity.

What is the weighting of the glass is an example of? ›

Hence, the correct option is C (force of adhesion).

How much does glass weight per square foot? ›

Glass Weight Technical Data / Physical Properties - Imperial Units
Glass Thickness Inches (")Glass Thickness Decimal Inches (")Weight lb/sq Foot
1/8"0.125"1.62 lb/sq Foot
5/32"0.156"2.02 lb/sq Foot
3/16"0.1875"2.43 lb/sq Foot
1/4"0.250"3.24 lb/sq Foot
8 more rows

What is the density of glass in lb ft? ›

If the exact thickness is known, the exact weight may be calculated using a glass density of 158 lb/ft3 (2531 kg/m3).

How much does 1 8 thick glass weigh? ›

Glass Weight per Square Foot: 1/8” = 1.64 lbs. sq. ft.

How thick is 1 8 inch glass? ›

Glass Thickness Ranges & Suitable Applications

Before deciding on required thickness levels, let's first examine specified ranges with suggested applications: 1/8 Inch (3mm): Frames, Insulated Windows & End Tables.

What is the self Weight of glass? ›

The density of glass is 2.5, which gives flat glass a mass of 2.5kg per m2 per mm of thickness, or 2500 kg per m3.

How thick does glass need to be to walk on? ›

Walk on Floor Glass

Most applications will require the glass to be supported on all four edges and the thickness used will be dependent on the span required. Smaller panes can use 25.5mm thick toughened and laminated glass, medium spans 31.5mm and larger spans 33mm thick.

How thick does glass have to be to stand on? ›

¼ inch thickness: This is the ideal glass size for tabletops and glass protective covers for tables such as coffee tables and patio tables. While the ½ inch thick glass feels sturdier, you can also feel safe with the ¼ inch thickness.

How much does 3 8 tempered glass weigh? ›

Surely there must be a table on this, or some other web site, listing the density of tempered glass (specifically, 3/8" tempered glass.) I assume you are in the USA, as you are asking about 3/8" glass, so the conversion is approximately 0.5 lbs/ft^2/mm which gives: 4.7625 lbs/ft^2 for 3/8" glass.

What is the mass weight of glass? ›

The density of glass is 2.5, which gives flat glass a mass of 2.5kg per m2 per mm of thickness, or 2500 kg per m3.

How can you calculate the density of glass? ›

The density of suitably selected piece of glass is measured by weighing it in air and dividing this weight by the buoyancy when the sample is suspended in water (Archimedes'method). Occasionally, the glass may be affected by water, in which case a suitable inert liquid such as kerosene may be selected.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Wyatt Volkman LLD

Last Updated:

Views: 5651

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Wyatt Volkman LLD

Birthday: 1992-02-16

Address: Suite 851 78549 Lubowitz Well, Wardside, TX 98080-8615

Phone: +67618977178100

Job: Manufacturing Director

Hobby: Running, Mountaineering, Inline skating, Writing, Baton twirling, Computer programming, Stone skipping

Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.