"rare" is probably the closest i guess? iirc that's mostly for gasses and to my knowledge isn't used by us laypeople

      • Spinoza [any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        in mathematics iirc. might work for physics too?

  • emizeko [they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    physical density is a scalar quantity (ratio), it doesn't have an opposite really

    like the others said sparse is a pretty good opposite for dense though

    • Spinoza [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      i mean "less dense" is an easily identifiable concept, no? i just want one word that means those two. sparse might be good enough

      • emizeko [they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        there's "rarefied" but it's a bit niche. first def in Webster at least is "being less dense"

        • Spinoza [any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          ooh right, sam roberts uses it in that way in a song. i think i like that one best