The Object With the Lightest Density in the World

Silica aerogel holds the title for the lightest solid material by density, often called the world's lowest specific gravity object. Its density ranges from about 1 to 3 kg/m³, making it roughly 99.8% air and up to 40 times lighter than air in some forms.
First developed in 1931, it resembles frozen smoke and can support heavy loads despite its fragility.

Key Properties
Silica aerogel excels as a thermal insulator, enduring temperatures from -275°C to 650°C, which led NASA to use it in Mars rovers and Stardust missions. Though brittle under pressure, turning to dust easily, graphene aerogels have recently challenged it with even lower densities around 0.16 mg/cm³.

Specific gravity, or relative density compared to water (1 g/cm³), underscores its extreme lightness at ~0.001.

Applications
It insulates spacecraft, protects against extreme heat, and features in composites for harsh environments. Lightweight tents like the Laser Photon Elite (0.59 kg) rank among lightest everyday objects, but aerogel outshines for material density. Subatomic particles like the W boson are far lighter by mass (1.43 × 10^{-25} kg), but aerogel leads for tangible solids.

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