How Heavy Is a Tungsten Cube? | The Tungsten Cube
Tungsten Cube Weight Guide

How Heavy Is a Tungsten Cube?

Tungsten has a density of 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter — nearly twice that of lead, and nearly identical to gold. This makes the weight of a tungsten cube startlingly counterintuitive. Below is everything you need to know: weight by size, a live calculator, and a comparison to common materials.

Quick Answer

A 1.5-inch tungsten cube weighs approximately 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs). A 1-inch tungsten cube weighs approximately 316 grams (0.70 lbs). Weight scales with the cube of the side length — doubling the size multiplies the weight by eight.

Key Facts — Tungsten Weight
Density 19.3 g/cm³
vs. Lead 1.7× heavier
vs. Gold ≈ identical
vs. Iron 2.5× heavier
1.5″ cube ~1 kg
1″ cube 316 g
Weight by Size

Tungsten Cube Weight Table

All weights calculated at tungsten’s standard density of 19.3 g/cm³. Weight increases with the cube of the side length — so a cube twice as large is eight times heavier.

Size Side (mm) Volume (cm³) Weight (grams) Weight (kg) Weight (lbs) Notes
½ inch 12.7 mm 2.05 39.5 g 0.040 kg 0.087 lbs Coin-sized
1 inch 25.4 mm 16.39 316 g 0.316 kg 0.70 lbs Golf ball–sized
1.5 inch Our Cube 38.1 mm 55.31 ~1,067 g ~1.07 kg ~2.35 lbs Marketed as the 1KG cube
2 inch 50.8 mm 131.1 2,530 g 2.53 kg 5.57 lbs Softball-sized
3 inch 76.2 mm 442.4 8,538 g 8.54 kg 18.8 lbs Can’t hold one-handed
6 inch 152.4 mm 3,541 68,341 g 68.3 kg 150.6 lbs Heavier than most people
1 foot 304.8 mm 28,317 546,518 g 546.5 kg 1,205 lbs Over half a metric ton

* Weights calculated at 19.3 g/cm³ (tungsten’s standard density at room temperature). Actual product weight may vary ±2% due to material density variation and machining tolerances. The 1.5-inch cube is commonly marketed as “1KG” — its theoretical weight is approximately 1.07 kg.

Interactive Tool

Tungsten Cube Weight Calculator

Enter any side length to calculate the weight of a tungsten cube at 19.3 g/cm³. The formula is simple: weight = side³ × 19.3 (where side is in centimeters and weight is in grams).

This is also why a tungsten cube feels so much heavier than it looks — density scales linearly, but volume (and therefore weight) scales with the cube of the dimension. A cube twice as wide is eight times heavier.

Grams
Kilograms
Pounds

Calculated at 19.3 g/cm³ (standard tungsten density)

Why So Heavy?

Tungsten vs. Other Materials

Tungsten sits at 19.3 g/cm³ — nearly twice the density of lead, and in the same range as osmium and iridium, the two densest known elements. For practical purposes, the only common metal that matches it is gold, which sits at 19.32 g/cm³.

This is why a tungsten cube occupies such a unique position: it is available, affordable, and safe — unlike osmium, which is radioactively adjacent and astronomically expensive. Gold at the same weight would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Tungsten gives you the same density experience for a fraction of the price.

Pick up a 1.5-inch tungsten cube and your brain receives information it has no frame of reference for. Something this size should weigh a few hundred grams. Instead it weighs a kilogram. That gap between expectation and reality is the entire appeal of the object.

Full comparison: tungsten vs. gold, osmium, titanium →
Osmium
22.6 g/cm³
Tungsten
19.3 g/cm³
Gold
19.3 g/cm³
Lead
11.3 g/cm³
Copper
8.96 g/cm³
Iron
7.87 g/cm³
Titanium
4.51 g/cm³
Aluminum
2.70 g/cm³
Material Density 1.5″ Cube Weight vs. Tungsten
Tungsten 19.3 g/cm³ ~1.07 kg
Gold 19.32 g/cm³ ~1.07 kg ≈ same
Lead 11.34 g/cm³ ~627 g 0.59×
Copper 8.96 g/cm³ ~495 g 0.46×
Iron 7.87 g/cm³ ~435 g 0.41×
Aluminum 2.70 g/cm³ ~149 g 0.14×
FAQ

Common Questions About Tungsten Cube Weight

A 1.5-inch tungsten cube weighs approximately 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs). Weight depends on size — tungsten has a density of 19.3 g/cm³, so you multiply the volume (side³ in cm) by 19.3 to get the weight in grams. A 1-inch cube weighs about 316g; a 2-inch cube about 2.53 kg; a 3-inch cube about 8.54 kg.
A 1-inch (25.4mm) tungsten cube weighs approximately 316 grams (0.70 lbs). Calculation: 2.54 cm × 2.54 cm × 2.54 cm = 16.39 cm³. Multiply by tungsten’s density of 19.3 g/cm³ = 316.3 grams.
A 1-foot (12-inch, 304.8mm) tungsten cube would weigh approximately 546 kilograms (1,205 lbs) — more than half a metric ton. Calculation: 30.48 cm³ = 28,317 cm³. Multiply by 19.3 g/cm³ = 546,518 grams. For reference, this is heavier than most cars’ engine blocks.
Tungsten (19.3 g/cm³) is approximately 1.7 times denser than lead (11.34 g/cm³). This is because tungsten has a higher atomic mass (183.84 vs. 207.2 for lead) and, crucially, its body-centered cubic crystal structure packs atoms more tightly than lead’s face-centered cubic arrangement. More mass packed into less space = greater density. Despite its lower atomic weight, tungsten’s crystal packing makes it dramatically denser.
Tungsten (19.3 g/cm³) and gold (19.32 g/cm³) have nearly identical densities — a difference of less than 0.1%. A 1.5-inch tungsten cube and a 1.5-inch gold cube would weigh almost exactly the same. This is why tungsten is sometimes used to counterfeit gold bars — they feel identical in the hand. A gold cube of the same size would cost roughly $60,000–80,000 at current gold prices. The tungsten cube costs $199.
Weight (grams) = side length (cm)³ × 19.3. Convert your side length to centimeters first: 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 mm = 0.1 cm. For example, a 2-inch cube: 5.08 cm × 5.08 cm × 5.08 cm = 131.1 cm³ × 19.3 = 2,530 grams (2.53 kg). Use the calculator above for any size.

Now you know how heavy it is.
Hold one for yourself.

The 1.5-inch tungsten cube. 99.95% pure tungsten. Precision-machined brushed finish.

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