---
title: "Zinc — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Zinc has a density of 7,140 kg/m³. Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/zinc/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Zinc

**Density of zinc: 7,140 kg/m³**

7.14 g/cm³ · 445.7 lb/ft³

Most zinc is never seen as zinc: it is the coating that stops steel rusting, and it works by corroding preferentially rather than by sealing the surface, so a scratched galvanized panel still does not rust at the scratch. Its low melting point makes it the easiest common metal to die-cast, which is why cheap castings are usually zinc alloy. Highest thermal expansion of the common structural metals, at about two and a half times steel.

## Properties

- **Density:** 7,140 kg/m³ — 7.14 g/cm³
- **Melting point:** 419.5 °C
- **Tensile strength:** 100–150 MPa
- **Young's modulus:** 108 GPa
- **Thermal conductivity:** 116 W/(m·K)
- **Thermal expansion:** 30.2 µm/(m·K)
- **Floats in water:** No
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Galvanizing coatings on steel
- Die-cast carburettor bodies, locks and toy cars
- Sacrificial anodes on boats and water heaters
- Brass making

## 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
- zinc: 7,140 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× |
| zinc ← | 7,140 kg/m³ | 7.14× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Zinc does not rust — rust is iron oxide specifically — but it does corrode, forming its own oxide or salts over time.

## Is it magnetic?

Zinc is not ferromagnetic. It is often assumed to be because it is a metal, but most metals are not — only iron, nickel, cobalt and a few alloys are attracted to an ordinary magnet.

## Common questions

### What is the density of zinc?

7,140 kg/m³, or 7.14 g/cm³.

### Does zinc float?

No. At 7,140 kg/m³ it is denser than water.

### Is zinc magnetic?

Zinc is not ferromagnetic. It is often assumed to be because it is a metal, but most metals are not — only iron, nickel, cobalt and a few alloys are attracted to an ordinary magnet.

## Related pages

- [Does zinc float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/zinc/)
- [Aluminum](https://atoneplace.net/material/aluminum/)
- [Copper](https://atoneplace.net/material/copper/)
- [Gold](https://atoneplace.net/material/gold/)
- [Titanium](https://atoneplace.net/material/titanium/)
- [Iron](https://atoneplace.net/material/iron/)
- [Lead](https://atoneplace.net/material/lead/)
- [Tungsten](https://atoneplace.net/material/tungsten/)
- [Silver](https://atoneplace.net/material/silver/)

## Sources

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