Lead is a stable and malleable metal that has been known to humanity since ancient times. While toxic if consumed, lead's resistance to corrosion and density make it an essential material in the construction of storage tanks and radiation shielding. It is also used in many other industrial manufacturing processes.
Density and Weight of Lead
Calculate the weight of lead with the following formula: w = Vp, where "w" represent the weight, "V" indicates the volume and "p" is the density. At room temperature -- 68 degrees Fahrenheit -- lead's density is 0.41 pound per cubic inch. To calculate the weight of a volume of lead, multiply 0.41 by the volume, ensuring that the volume is given in cubic inches. For example, calculate the weight of 213 cubic inches of lead as follows:
w = 213 cubic inches X 0.41 pound/cubic inch, so: w = 87.33 pounds
Lead: Quick Facts
Lead is an Element Lead is the 82nd element of the Periodic Table of Elements. The symbol for lead in the Periodic Table is Pb. It comes from the Latin word Plumbum.
Lead has an atomic mass of 207.2 amu. It has a melting point of 621.5 degrees Fahrenheit and boils at 3164.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Odd fact: Lead beads were first found around 6400 B.C.
Converting Grams to Ounces
The first conversion that will be necessary to find the weight of a cubic inch of lead is to convert grams to ounces. This is done by starting with kilograms and pounds:
A kilogram is equal to 2.20462262 pounds. A pound is equal to 16 ounces.
Therefore a kilogram is equal to 2.20462262 pounds times 16 ounces or 35.2739619 ounces.
Since a gram is one one-thousandth of a kilogram, we can divide 35.2739619 ounces by 1,000 and find that one gram is 0.0352739619 ounces.
Converting Cubic Centimeters to Cubic Inches
The conversion of centimeters to inches is that 1 centimeter is equal to 0.393700787 inches.
The cube of this is then 0.393700787 times 0.393700787 times 0.393700787 or 0.06102374390 cubic inches.
Lead weighs 11.342 grams per cubic centimeter.
Using the conversions above, lead weighs 0.40007727586 ounces per cubic centimeter. And using the other conversion above, lead weighs 6.55609194538 ounces per cubic inch.
Conclusion
Lead is a heavy material. It weighs nearly a half pound per cubic inch. This is easily noticed when lifting a car battery; a lead acid battery is very heavy.
Lead has many uses, one of which is a good shield for radiation. Lead is plentiful on and in the Earth.
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About the Author
Jon Zamboni began writing professionally in 2010. He has previously written for The Spiritual Herald, an urban health care and religious issues newspaper based in New York City, and online music magazine eBurban. Zamboni has a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Wesleyan University.
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