Kilogrammliter

Kilogrammliter is a non-SI unit of density that expresses mass per unit volume, effectively kilograms per liter (kg/L). It describes how many kilograms of mass are contained in one liter of a substance. The term is not standardized in the International System of Units, and most scientific work uses kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m^3) or grams per milliliter (g/mL) instead.

Relationship to SI units: 1 kg/L is equivalent to 1000 kg/m^3, since one liter equals 0.001 cubic meters. It is also equivalent to 1 g/mL, because 1 liter of water has a mass of about 1000 g. Densities expressed in kg/L will vary with temperature and pressure, as with any density measurement.

Usage and examples: The kg/L unit is commonly used in chemistry, food science, and the beverage industry for practical density values. For example, the density of water near its maximum density is about 1.0 kg/L at 4°C, while at room temperature it is approximately 0.998 kg/L. Ethanol has a density around 0.789 kg/L, and milk is about 1.03 kg/L, subject to variation with temperature and composition.

Notation and terminology: While some texts write “kg/L” to denote density, referring to the concept as “kilogrammliter” is nonstandard; more precise and widely understood notations are kg/L, kg/m^3, or g/mL. In precise work, SI units (kg/m^3) are preferred, with explicit temperature and pressure conditions specified.

See also: density, kilogram, liter, kilogram per cubic meter, gram per milliliter.