Names: Gabriel, Mishael Alexia

Delen, Sharlene Allora P.

Elepao, Maria Arantxa Seniza P.
Estacio, Beatrice Lianne F. *
Estrada, Cecilia Marie G. Group No.: 3
Flores, Jaszmhynne Belle V. Date Performed: 02/08/17
Fuentes, Maybelle Jahn M. Section: 2APH
Date Submitted:02/16/17

Experiment 3- Specific Gravity of Liquids and Solids

ABSTRACT

Specific gravity is a unit-less expression of a ratio of the density of a substance of

interest relative to a reference substance. Specific gravity can be determined
through the use of measuring instruments. Baume hydrometer, Mohr-Westphal
Balance and Leach Pycnometer are some. In this experiment, Baume Hydrometer,
Mohr-Westphal Balance and Leach pycnometer was used to determine the specific
gravity of 95% Ethyl Alcohol. Pycnometer was used to determine the relative
density of Copper Sulfate.

THEORY AND CONCEPTS Baum, B, B and simply Baum.

One scale measures the density of
The usage of specific gravity notation liquids heavier than water and the
is useful in the metric system, where other, liquids lighter than water. The
the density of water is typically taken
Baum of distilled water is 0.
as 1000 kilograms per meter cubed.
Multiplying the specific gravity of a
material by 1000 yields the density of
the material in kilograms per meter
cubed. Dividing 1000 by itself yields
The Mohr-Westphal Balance was used
the specific gravity of water, which is
to measure the specific gravity. The
one. Specific gravity can be
arm is first balanced with the plummet
determined with the use of measuring
totally immersed in water at 15.5
instruments namely: Baume
degrees C. The plummet has a built-in
hydrometer, Mohr-WestpalBalance and
thermometer and has a known volume
Leach Pycnometer.
(equal to 5 g of water at 15.5 degrees
The Baum scale is a pair C) and mass (15 gm). A 5 g mass is
of hydrometer scales that placed on the hook holding the
measure density of various liquids. plummet, and the screw on the foot is
The unit of the Baum scale has been adjusted until the index pointer on the
notated variously as degrees end of the beam lines up with the
point on the frame. The plummet is
then completely immersed in the
unknown liquid, and the system is
rebalanced, using a series of riders on
the nine equally paced notches on the
beam, thus giving the value of the
added mass for each decimal place.
This gives the buoyant force of the
liquid relative to water, and hence the
specific gravity, which may be
obtained to four decimal places.
A pycnometer was used to measure
accurate specific gravity of liquid and
solid. It is a flask with a stopper that
has a capillary tube through it, which
allows a bubble to escape. Density is
measured with a pycnometer by
weighing a substance, usually in the
liquid state, that is placed in the
device and fills the pycnometer to a
mark on its neck or to the upper edge
of a capillary tube, corresponding to
the nominal volume of the
pycnometer. The measurement of
volume is considerably simplified if the
pycnometer has a scale rather than a
MATERIALS
Baume Hydrometer
1000 mL Graduated Cylinder
Mohr-Westphal Balance
RESULTS
I. SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LIQUID
Liquid Sample: 95% Ethyl
Alcohol
A. Using Baume Hydrometer
Specific gravity of liquid:
0.820
single mark. Pycnometers with a side
capillary tube in which the stopper is
the body of a thermometer are
particularly convenient in operation.
The density of solids is determined by
placing them in a pycnometer with a
liquid.
The larger the specific density of a
material, the more dense the material
is than water. Specific density can be
used to determine whether solids of
different materials float or sink in
water. If the material specific gravity is
greater than one, it sinks in water. If it
is smaller than one, it floats in water.
Because the density of water can vary
at different temperatures, the water
density used to determine the specific
gravity is often defined at the
temperature at which water is
densest, 4 C. Specific gravity can also
be used to determined concentrations
in industrial processes because
solutions are almost always less or
more dense than pure water.
Leach Pycnometer
Triple Beam Balance
Copper Sulfate powder
Water
95% Ethyl Alcohol
B. Using Mohr-Westphal
Balance:
Specific gravity of liquid:
0.8
C. Using Leach Pycnometer:
Mass of empty pycnometer:
29.00 g
Mass of pycnometer/ water:
31.10 g
Mass pycnometer and lquid sample:
50.09 g
Mass of water: 24.30
g liquid: 68.90 g
Mass of liquid sample: 18.99
g 32.20 g
Specific Gravity of Liquid: 0.78
II. SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOLID
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The specific gravity of 95% Ethyl
Alcohol was measured using a Baume
Hydrometer, a Mohr-Westphal Balance,
and a Leach Pycnometer. The values
obtained were 0.820 for Baume
Hydrometer, 0.8 for Mohr-Westphal
balance and 0.78 for Leach
Pycnometer.
The sp. gr. value obtained from the
Leach Pycnometer was calculated
using the formula:
whereas the
weight of the alcohol is equal to the
mass of the pycnometer with liquid
sample minus the weight of the empty
pycnometer. The weight of the
equivalent volume of water is equal to
the mass of the pycnometer with
Solid Sample: Copper
Sulfate Powder
Standard Liquid: 95% Ethyl
Alcohol
Mass of empty pycnometer: 29.00
g
Mass of pycnometer and standard
Mass of pycnometer and solid sample:
Mass of pycnometer, solid sample and
standard liquid: 71.40 g
Relative density of solid sample:
4.57
water minus the weight of the empty
pycnometer. Dividing the obtained
values will yield 0.78 which is the
alcohols specific gravity.
The Specific Gravity (also termed as
Relative Density) of the Copper Sulfate
was measured using a Leach
Pycnometer using the same formula
but instead of water as the reference,
a standard liquid is used which is in
this case, 95% Ethyl Alcohol. The
value obtained was 4.56.
The weight of the copper sulfate is
equal to the mass of the pycnometer
with solid sample minus the mass of
an empty pycnometer. The weight of
the equivalent volume of standard
liquid is equal to the volume of the
standard liquid displaced.
Volume of standard liquid subtracting the mass of an empty
displaced=Volume of standard pycnometer from the mass of the
liquid=Weight of standard liquid pycnometer with solid sample) and
subtracting it from the total mass of
The volume of standard liquid is equal the pycnometer, solid sample and
to the mass of the pycnometer with standard liquid. Dividing the values
the standard liquid plus the mass of obtain will yield 4.56 which is the
the solid sample (obtained by Copper Sulfates relative density.

CONCLUSION Copper Sulfate is however, of a slightly

big difference compared actual value
The specific gravity of the 95% Ethyl of its specific gravity which is 1.186.
Alcohol obtained using different The discrepancies of the obtained
measuring equipment are almost of measurements on specific gravity can
the same values. This implies that the be due to the instruments varying
actual sp. gr. of 95% Ethyl Alcohol is degrees of precision, wrong equipment
somewhere between the values calibration, wrong measurement
obtained and the levels of precision readings and other more possible
and accuracy are relatively high. The causes which have the ability to alter
value of the specific gravity of the the accuracy of measurements.

REFERENCES

Baum scale. (2017, January 28). Westphal Balance. (n.d.). Retrieved

Retrieved February 15, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baum
%C3%A9_scale
Hubble, G. (1970, January 01). Baum
& Brix. Retrieved February 15, 2017,
from http://gavinhubble-
wineblogs.blogspot.com/2012/06/bau
me-brix.html
Pycnometer. (n.d.). Retrieved February
15, 2017, from
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.
com/Pycnometer
February 15, 2017, from
http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyAppara
tus/Fluids/Westphal_Balance/Westphal
_Balance.html
What is the difference between
density and specific gravity? (n.d.).
Retrieved February 15, 2017, from
https://www.reference.com/science/diff
erence-between-density-specific-
gravity-16d5a8c6dc3bfbf4
Questions for Formal Report:

1. Differentiate specific gravity and density.

Density is defined as mass per unit volume; it has the SI unit kg/m3 and is an absolute quantity.

Specific gravity is the ratio of a material's density with that of water at 4 C (where it is most
dense and is taken to have the value (*) 999.974 kgm -3) and is therefore a relative quantity with no
units.

2. If 54.96 mL of oil weighs 52.78 g, what is its specific gravity?

Using the formula:

Weight of substance= 52.78 g

Weight of an equal amount of Water= 54.96 g (density of water 1g/ml)

Sp. gr.= 52.78 g

54. 96 g

Sp. gr. = 0.9603

3. A pycnometer weighs 50.00 g. When filled with water, it weighs 100.00 g.

When filled with oil, it weighs 94.00 g. Determine the specific gravity of the
oil.
 Get the weight of the oil and the equivalent amount of water by subtracting
the weight of the empty pycnometer with weight of the pycnometer
containing oil and containing water respectively.

(Weight of the oil) 94.00 g 50.00 g = 44.00g

(Weight of the equivalent amount of water ) 100.00 g 50.00 g = 50.00 g

Plug in the values to the formula:

4
=

Sp. gr.= 44.00 g

50.00 g

Sp. gr.= 0.88

4. An insoluble powder weighs 12.00 g. A pycnometer, weighing 21.00 g when

empty, weighs 121.00 when filled with water. When the powder is introduced
into the emptied pycnometer, and the pycnometer is filled with water, the
three together weigh 130 g. What is the specific gravity of the powder?

Weight of the solid sample = 12.00 g

Get the weight of the equivalent amount of water:

Volume of water displaced=Volume of water=Weight of water (Density of water =

1g/mL)

Get the sum of the weights of the pycnometer, the solid sample and water

121.00 g (Pycnometer+water) + 12.00 g (weight of the solid sample) = 133.00 g

Subtract the total weight from the obtained weight

133.00 g (obtained weight) 130.00 g (total weight) = 3.00 g

Plug in the values to the formula:

Sp. gr.= 12.00 g

3.00 g

Sp. gr.= 4.00