Cream on Top: Why is it So Much Denser than Milk?

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Cream is often perceived as denser than milk, but it is actually more viscous due to its higher fat content. The fat in cream is less dense than the liquid components of milk, which allows cream to rise to the top when undisturbed. Churning cream transforms it into butter by separating butterfat from buttermilk, but butter itself has different properties. The discussion clarifies that while cream may appear denser, its viscosity is the primary factor in its behavior in milk. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify misconceptions about the density of cream compared to milk.
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Why is cream on the top being so much more dense than milk below?
 
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vin300 said:
Why is cream on the top being so much more dense than milk below?

Is it denser? It's more viscous, but that's not the same thing as being more dense.
 
I'm pretty sure it's denser. We make butter out of it.
 
Perhaps this article may clear up the confusion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream

The fat in cream is less dense than the milk, therefore the cream will rise to the top of the milk if the container is not agitated.

Butter is not cream. Cream must be churned to turn it into butter. The churning separates the butterfat from the buttermilk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter
 
vin300 said:
I'm pretty sure it's denser. We make butter out of it.

Butter floats in water too.
 

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