How to Calculate Plate Weight

Barbells are made out of steel.

Plate weights can often be seen in gyms and weight rooms as exercise equipment. They are also called bar bells or dumb bells. Since these weights are also used in personal home gyms, one may want to calculate the weight of each plate, should the numbering rub off due to normal wear and tear. The weight of steel will vary based on size and other factors. The formula consists of some basic math principles.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator (not required)

Instructions

1. 

   This is one type of tape measure that can be used to measure the plate.

   Measure the volume of the steel plate. Measure the length, width and height of the steel plate in centimeters and record that number on paper.

2. 

   It may be faster to use a calculator for the computations.

   Multiply the numbers obtained from the length, width and height together. This is the volume, in centimeters, of a steel plate.

3. Multiply the volume by 7.85, which is the average density of steel. This is the weight in grams.

4. Multiply the grams by 0.002204 to obtain the weight of a steel plate in pounds, if you prefer.

References

• Density of Steel
• Size and Weight of Steel Plates

Resources

• Calculator for Weight of A Steel Plate
• Steel Plate Weight Calculator