Metal Weight Calculator

Weight is cross-section area times length times density. Work out the area of the profile, multiply by the length, then by the metal’s density — about 490 lb per cubic foot for steel, 169 for aluminum, or 559 for copper.

The area formula is what changes between shapes: a round bar is π ÷ 4 × diameter², a square bar is the side squared, a sheet is width times thickness, and a tube is the outer ring area. The calculator handles every profile and metal, and gives weight per piece, per foot and in total.

Aluminum is about one-third the weight of steel. Aluminum runs about 169 lb per cubic foot versus steel at around 490 — so an identical bar or sheet in aluminum weighs roughly 34 percent of the steel version.

That is why aluminum is chosen where weight matters, even though it is less stiff and strong per unit than steel. The by-metal table shows your exact size in every metal so you can weigh the trade-off directly.

Of the common metals, lead is the heaviest at about 708 lb per cubic foot, followed by copper at 559 and bronze and brass near 535 to 548. Aluminum is the lightest common structural metal at about 169, with titanium next at 281.

Steel and stainless sit in the middle at roughly 490 to 500. So a lead piece weighs more than four times the same shape in aluminum. The calculator ranks every metal by weight for your exact size.

A tube’s weight uses the ring area — the outer circle minus the hollow inner circle. Take π ÷ 4 × OD², subtract π ÷ 4 × ID² (inner diameter is the OD minus twice the wall), then multiply by length and density.

Because only the wall carries metal, a tube weighs far less than a solid bar of the same outer diameter. In the calculator, choose Round tube and enter the outer diameter and wall thickness and it works out the ring area for you.

In pounds per cubic foot: aluminum is about 169, titanium 281, zinc 445, cast iron 454, steel 490, stainless 500, brass 535, bronze 548, copper 559, and lead 708. In grams per cubic centimeter that runs from about 2.7 for aluminum to 11.34 for lead.

Density is the single figure that turns a volume into a weight, so picking the right metal matters as much as getting the size right. The calculator uses the correct density for whichever metal you choose.

A sheet’s weight is its area times thickness times density. Steel weighs about 40.8 lb per square foot per inch of thickness, so a 1/4-inch steel sheet is about 10.2 lb per square foot; aluminum is roughly a third of that, about 3.5 lb per square foot at 1/4 inch.

A full 4 by 8-foot sheet is 32 square feet, so 1/4-inch steel is about 327 lb and the same in aluminum about 113 lb. Enter the width, thickness and length in the calculator for the exact weight in any metal.

Weight decides the handling, the shipping and often the design. Metal is sold and freighted by the pound or ton, so the weight drives the cost; it also sets whether a part is a hand carry or a machine lift, and it feeds into structural and vehicle load limits.

Choosing a lighter metal like aluminum can cut weight dramatically, which matters for anything that moves or must be carried. Knowing the figure up front keeps the budget, the handling and the design within limits.

Mills roll and draw metal to a size tolerance, so a nominal dimension can run slightly over or under, and small differences add up on a long bar or big sheet. Alloy, temper and finish also shift the density a little from the typical figure.

The calculator uses nominal sizes and standard densities, which is accurate for estimating, pricing and planning freight. For a precise shipped weight, confirm against the supplier’s mill certificate or spec sheet.