11 Examples of Something Small That Weigh a Lot

Something small but heavy? At first, this may seem like an oxymoron. We tend to associate size with weight – the bigger something is, the heavier we expect it to be. However, some of the densest materials on Earth can be packed into a tiny space, resulting in objects with unexpectedly high heft.

In this article, we’ll explore 11 examples of small things that weigh a surprising amount. Understanding density and mass can lead to some “whoa” moments as you realize how weighty everyday items can be. Get ready for a list of little things with big weight!

Heavyweights in Small Packages: 11 Examples of Exceptional Density

1. Gold Bar

One of the densest precious metals on Earth, gold can be compressed into bars small enough to fit in your pocket – but good luck lifting them! The standard gold bar held by central banks and traded by bullion dealers weighs 400 troy ounces. 

At about 27 cubic inches in size, that small brick tips the scales at over 27 pounds. Valued around $500,000 USD, that little lump contains a big chunk of change. Gold’s extraordinary density lets it pack major weight into a small form.

2. Neutron Star

Some of the most extreme density occurs in the remnants of collapsed stars known as neutron stars. 

When a dying star explodes in a supernova, its core can condense into an object only about 12.5 miles across – but containing twice as much mass as our sun! The intense gravity crushes matter to extraordinary densities. 

A teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh over 5 billion tons here on Earth. Some theories suggest that neutron stars may actually collapse into even smaller and denser black holes when they accumulate enough mass. In the cosmos, small and heavy go hand in hand.

3. Depleted Uranium

Used in applications like armor-piercing ammunition and radiation shielding, depleted uranium is valued for its incredible density. What’s depleted uranium? It’s uranium with most of the fissile isotope U-235 removed for use as nuclear reactor fuel. 

The leftover U-238 makes up over 99% of depleted uranium. This dense metal weighs in at about 18.7 grams per cubic centimeter – over 1.6 times more dense than lead. 

A 6-inch long, 2.5-inch wide DU rod weighs over 20 pounds! However, DU raises health concerns due to its radioactivity and toxicity. Handling this heavy metal requires proper precautions.

4. Tungsten Cube

With a density almost twice that of lead, tungsten can be machined into compact cubes with serious heft. A 2-inch cube of this ultra-dense metal feels remarkably weighty at over 4 pounds – similar to holding a gallon jug of milk. 

Tungsten’s extraordinary density finds uses in applications like ballast weights, counterweights, and even golf club heads where packing a lot of mass into a small volume is advantageous. 

The metal’s weightiness makes tungsten cubes popular curiosities among science enthusiasts. Don’t judge these books by their cover – they’re some of the heaviest cubes around!

5. Osmium

Never heard of osmium? As the densest naturally occurring element, this bluish-white metal deserves more recognition. 

With a density of about 22.6 grams per cubic centimeter, osmium packs nearly twice the mass of lead into the same volume. A small nugget just an inch across would weigh over 3 pounds! 

This ultra-dense element finds specialized uses in electrical contacts, instrument pivots, and even stylus tips for old vinyl records. 

Science geeks may also get an osmium sample just for its sheer metallic heft. Still, rarity and toxicity limit this heavy metal’s wider applications.

6. Dehydrated Meals

Heading out on a backpacking trek? Those lightweight dehydrated meals may seem incredibly compact, but just add water to experience their shocking weight. 

Dehydration removes about 80-90% of food weight by evaporating the water content. However, the meals quickly rehydrate when boiled in camp. 

For example, a packaged chicken and rice dinner weighing just 2 ounces can unpack into 20 ounces of fully hydrated food. 

Small but heavy dry meal pouches reduce pack weight for backpackers – letting them enjoy hearty, hot meals from tiny but dense rations.

7. Granite Countertop Sample

Swing by a countertop showroom, and they may hand you a free granite sample to take home. Often just 4 by 6 inches in size, these small rectangles showcase the polished stone slab’s color patterns. 

But don’t be fooled by the sample’s petite dimensions. Granite weighs in at about 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter, making a 4-inch square sample feel surprisingly hefty. 

A 6-inch square can weigh over 5 pounds! That’s because granite is a highly compressed igneous rock laden with dense minerals like quartz, feldspar, and mica. 

Those samples may be small, but they offer a sense of granite’s enduring mass.

8. Platypuses

Here’s an oddball animal with unexpected density: the platypus. These duck-billed, egg-laying mammals from Australia have exceptionally thick fur and skin packed with fat and connective tissue. 

All this extra padding increases their body’s density compared to similarly-sized creatures. 

For their roughly 20-inch length, platypuses can weigh anywhere from 3-5 pounds – up to double the weight expected of other mammals their size. 

The platypus’ bizarre Franken-mammal anatomy lends it an anomalously high heft for its dimensions.

9. Osmium/Iridium Alloy

What happens when you alloy the two densest metals on Earth? You get an incredibly heavy material with triple the density of lead, according to scientists at the University of California, Davis. 

By mixing osmium and iridium in an atomic-layered “lattice” structure, they formed stable alloys reaching insane densities up to 48 grams per cubic centimeter. 

At this mind-boggling density, a matchbox-sized 3-inch cube of the osmium/iridium metal would weigh over 1700 pounds! 

Unfortunately, these ultra-dense substances are mainly curiosities too expensive and toxic for everyday use. But they reveal the extremes possible when packing weight into minute volumes.

10. Compact Car Battery

Pop open the hood of your car, and you’ll find a small but hefty battery powers the whole vehicle. In a compact sedan like a Honda Civic, that battery may measure under 14 inches long – but weigh in at nearly 50 pounds! 

Modern lead-acid batteries achieve such densities by using thin lead plates and sulfuric acid electrolytes encased in a sturdy plastic shell. 

The compact package can deliver surge currents over 700 amps to start the engine. So don’t underestimate your car battery’s weighty power reserves, even though its size is modest next to the whole engine.

11. Black Hole

Perhaps the ultimate example of small but heavy objects in our universe are black holes. Cataclysmic collapse of a massive star can create a black hole as small as 3.7 miles across – but containing millions of times our sun’s mass. 

The immense gravity of that compact concentration of matter prevents even light from escaping. Black holes continue to grow by drawing in neighboring dust, gas and stars, packing ever more weight into their tiny cosmic frames. 

Supermassive black holes weighing billions of solar masses are thought to lurk at the center of most galaxies. Black holes let the universe go small and heavy in the most extreme way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore why small objects can feel surprisingly heavy, from the density of materials like osmium to the science behind granite countertops’ weight.

What Makes Something Small Feel So Heavy?

Small objects can feel unexpectedly heavy due to density – how closely their molecules or atoms are packed together. Materials like gold and tungsten contain lots of weighty protons and neutrons packed into their atomic nuclei, surrounded by dense electron clouds. This gives them very high density compared to the volume they take up.

Can Something Be Too Dense To Hold In Your Hand?

Yes, if an object gets extremely small yet massive enough, it can become too dense to hold by hand. For example, a chunk of a neutron star – among the densest objects in the universe – would instantly crash through the Earth due to its incredible density. Less dramatically, a tiny cube of the densest osmium/iridium alloys would feel far too heavy to lift normally.

Why Don’t We Make More Things Out Of Super Dense Substances?

While ultra-dense metals like osmium and tungsten are intriguing, their rarity, expenses and toxicity often limit everyday applications. High costs means we reserve use of these compact but heavy materials for specialty purposes only. Materials like depleted uranium also raise health concerns with radioactivity and poisoning. For most uses, dense yet cheaper and safer metals like steel or lead are adequate.

What Is The Densest Naturally Occurring Element On Earth?

Osmium, a hard blue-white metal belonging to the platinum group, holds the distinction as the densest naturally found element. With a density of about 22.6 grams per cubic centimeter, osmium packs the most mass into the smallest space of any natural element on Earth. Rhenium and platinum come in at a close second and third.

Why Are Samples Of Granite Countertops So Heavy?

Granite’s density comes from its makeup of highly compressed minerals like quartz, feldspar, mica, and amphibole crystals. Tightly packed granular structure gives granite an average density of 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter – allowing heavy granite countertops to maintain stability. Samples feel disproportionately hefty for their small size due to granite’s intrinsically dense composition.

Summary

From gold bars to neutron stars, this list of 11 examples reveals how many surprising things can be small but heavy. 

While we often associate density with compactness, ultra-dense materials like osmium and depleted uranium truly defy expectations – packing up huge amounts of mass into tiny volumes through the magic of physics and chemistry. 

Even familiar items like granite samples and dehydrated meals feel unexpectedly hefty in hand due to their condensed material properties. So whenever you come across something small that seems heavy for its size, it may be more massive than it looks!