---
title: "Granite — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Granite has a density of 2,700 kg/m³ (2,600–2,800). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/granite/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Granite

**Density of granite: 2,700 kg/m³ (2,600–2,800)**

2.70 g/cm³ · 168.6 lb/ft³

A coarse-grained igneous rock of quartz, feldspar and mica, which is why it is hard enough to resist knife scratches on a worktop — the quartz grains are Mohs 7. It is strong in compression, at over 100 MPa, and weak in tension, at 7-25 MPa, like all stone. Machine tool surface plates are granite rather than cast iron because it does not rust, does not raise a burr when scratched, and is dimensionally stable over decades.

## Properties

- **Density:** 2,700 kg/m³ (2,600–2,800) — 2.70 g/cm³
- **Tensile strength:** 7–25 MPa
- **Young's modulus:** 50 GPa
- **Thermal conductivity:** 2.9 W/(m·K)
- **Hardness:** 6 Mohs
- **Thermal expansion:** 8 µm/(m·K)
- **Floats in water:** No
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Kitchen worktops and vanity tops
- Kerbstones, setts and paving
- Machine tool surface plates
- Monuments and cladding

## 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
- granite: 2,700 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× |
| granite ← | 2,700 kg/m³ | 2.70× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

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

## Is it magnetic?

Granite is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Common questions

### What is the density of granite?

2,700 kg/m³ (2,600–2,800), or 2.70 g/cm³.

### Does granite float?

No. At 2,700 kg/m³ it is denser than water.

### Is granite magnetic?

Granite is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Related pages

- [Does granite float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/granite/)
- [Diamond](https://atoneplace.net/material/diamond/)
- [Marble](https://atoneplace.net/material/marble/)
- [Quartz](https://atoneplace.net/material/quartz/)
- [Limestone](https://atoneplace.net/material/limestone/)
- [Slate](https://atoneplace.net/material/slate/)
- [Sandstone](https://atoneplace.net/material/sandstone/)

## Sources

- United States Geological Survey — USGS (https://www.usgs.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]