A density meter, also known as a densometer, is a device that measures the density. Density is usually abbreviated as either 
or . Typically, density either has the units of or . The most basic principle of how density is calculated is by the formula:
![\"\\rho](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/1f7d439671d1289b6a816e6af7a304be40608d64\")
or ![\"D\"](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/f34a0c600395e5d4345287e21fb26efd386990e6\")
. Typically, density either has the units of ![\"{\\displaystyle](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/d7a55ebb7f5ff4471037d34b671b2563fc63662b\")
or ![\"{\\displaystyle](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/ceb764942adf6cb95ba82a1d1d662c0608f8c9ce\")
. The most basic principle of how density is calculated is by the formula:![\"{\\displaystyle](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/f63465553e3f944d6ef79f90f992a02cf29c7f38\")
Where:
- = the density of the sample.
- = the mass of the sample.
- = the volume of the sample.
-
Many density meters can measure both the wet portion and the dry portion of a sample. The wet portion comprises the density from all liquids present in the sample. The dry solids comprise solely of the density of the solids present in the sample.A density meter does not measure the specific gravity of a sample directly. However, the specific gravity can be inferred from a density meter. The specific gravity is defined as the density of a sample compared to the density of a reference. The reference density is typically of that of water.
![\"m\"](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/0a07d98bb302f3856cbabc47b2b9016692e3f7bc\")
= the mass of the sample.![\"V\"](\"https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/af0f6064540e84211d0ffe4dac72098adfa52845\")
= the volume of the sample.