At One Place

Ebony

Density of ebony
1,000 kg/m³ (900–1,200)
1.00 g/cm³ · 62.4 lb/ft³

Dense enough that the heavier species genuinely sink in water, which is the fact everyone half-remembers — Gaboon ebony at around 955 kg/m³ only just floats, while Macassar at 1120 does not. It is extremely hard and takes a polish straight off the tool without any finish, which is why fingerboards are ebony. Supply is now the problem: many true ebonies are CITES-listed or IUCN-threatened and all are slow-growing, and much of what is sold as ebony is dyed pear or maple.

Properties

Density
1,000 kg/m³ (900–1,200) — 1.00 g/cm³
Young's modulus
16 GPa
Floats in water
No
Magnetic
No

What it is used for

  • Guitar and violin fingerboards
  • Piano sharps
  • Knife and tool handles
  • Inlay, chess pieces and turnery

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
ebony 1,000 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 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×
ebony ← 1,000 kg/m³ 1.00×
platinum 21,450 kg/m³ 21.45×
gold 19,300 kg/m³ 19.30×
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³ 19.25×

Does it rust?

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

Is it magnetic?

Ebony is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Common questions

What is the density of ebony?
1,000 kg/m³ (900–1,200), or 1.00 g/cm³.
Does ebony float?
No. At 1,000 kg/m³ it is denser than water.
Is ebony magnetic?
Ebony is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked