---
title: "Brick — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Brick has a density of 1,900 kg/m³ (1,600–2,100). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/brick/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Brick

**Density of brick: 1,900 kg/m³ (1,600–2,100)**

1.90 g/cm³ · 118.6 lb/ft³

A standard fired clay brick weighs 2 to 3 kg depending on format and carries 20-50 MPa in compression, but only 1.5-3 MPa in tension, which is why brickwork is designed never to be pulled apart and why walls need buttressing or ties rather than being asked to bend. Fired brick expands slightly and irreversibly for years after leaving the kiln as it takes moisture back up, which is what movement joints in long walls exist to absorb. Firebrick is a different material altogether: lower density, higher alumina, and rated to 1400 °C or more.

## Properties

- **Density:** 1,900 kg/m³ (1,600–2,100) — 1.90 g/cm³
- **Tensile strength:** 1.5–3 MPa
- **Young's modulus:** 15 GPa
- **Thermal conductivity:** 0.7 W/(m·K)
- **Thermal expansion:** 6 µm/(m·K)
- **Floats in water:** No
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Load-bearing and cladding walls
- Chimneys and fireplaces
- Paving and garden walls
- Kiln and furnace linings (as firebrick)

## How it compares

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.*

- air: 1.2 kg/m³
- expanded polystyrene foam: 20 kg/m³
- rigid polyurethane foam: 40 kg/m³
- Water — the float line: 1,000 kg/m³
- brick: 1,900 kg/m³
- tungsten: 19,250 kg/m³
- gold: 19,300 kg/m³
- platinum: 21,450 kg/m³

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| Material | Density | Relative to water |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| brick ← | 1,900 kg/m³ | 1.90× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Brick contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

## Is it magnetic?

Brick is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Common questions

### What is the density of brick?

1,900 kg/m³ (1,600–2,100), or 1.90 g/cm³.

### Does brick float?

No. At 1,900 kg/m³ it is denser than water.

### Is brick magnetic?

Brick is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Related pages

- [Does brick float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/brick/)
- [Concrete](https://atoneplace.net/material/concrete/)
- [Gypsum board (drywall)](https://atoneplace.net/material/gypsum-board/)
- [Tungsten carbide](https://atoneplace.net/material/tungsten-carbide/)
- [Reinforced concrete](https://atoneplace.net/material/reinforced-concrete/)
- [Graphite](https://atoneplace.net/material/graphite/)
- [Porcelain](https://atoneplace.net/material/porcelain/)
- [Plaster](https://atoneplace.net/material/plaster/)
- [Silicon carbide](https://atoneplace.net/material/silicon-carbide/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)