---
title: "Does mercury float in water? No"
description: "Mercury sinks — its density is 13,534 kg/m³ against water's 1,000. Why density and not weight decides it."
url: https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/mercury/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Does mercury float?

**Does mercury float?: No**

13,534 kg/m³ against water's 1,000

Mercury sinks. At 13,534 kg/m³ it is 13.53 times denser than water.

## Why

Floating is decided by density alone — mass divided by volume — compared against the fluid. Weight has nothing to do with it directly: a 200-tonne ship floats and a 2-gram pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below that of water. That is also the only reason a steel hull works.

## The numbers

- **Density:** 13,534 kg/m³
- **Relative to fresh water:** 13.534×
- **Floats in fresh water:** No
- **Floats in seawater:** No

## Compared with other materials

| Material | Density | Floats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inconel 718 | 8,190 kg/m³ | No |
| brass | 8,500 kg/m³ | No |
| tin-lead solder (60/40) | 8,520 kg/m³ | No |
| bronze | 8,800 kg/m³ | No |
| Monel 400 | 8,800 kg/m³ | No |
| nickel | 8,908 kg/m³ | No |
| copper | 8,960 kg/m³ | No |
| silver | 10,490 kg/m³ | No |
| lead | 11,340 kg/m³ | No |
| mercury ← | 13,534 kg/m³ | No |

## Common questions

### Does mercury float in water?

No — at 13,534 kg/m³ it is denser than water's 1,000.

### Does weight decide whether something floats?

No, density does. A 200-tonne ship floats and a small pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below water.

## Related pages

- [Mercury properties](https://atoneplace.net/material/mercury/)
- [Does air float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/air/)
- [Does expanded polystyrene foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/eps-foam/)
- [Does rigid polyurethane foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/polyurethane-foam/)
- [Does EVA foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/eva-foam/)
- [Does balsa float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/balsa/)
- [Does corrugated cardboard float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cardboard/)
- [Does cork float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cork/)
- [Does western red cedar float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cedar/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]