Experiment 3 Specific Gravity of Liquids and Solids

APPLICATION
1. Differentiate specific gravity and density.
Specific gravity is a unit-less value. It is the ratio of the density of a substance and
the density of reference substance having the same volume. Density is an intrinsic
property of a substance expressing the weight in grams per mL of the substance.
2. If 54.96 mL of oil weighs 50.00 g, what is the specific gravity?
Solution:
mass oil
density oil volume ol
Specific Gravity= =
density water mass oil
volume water

52.78 g
54.96 mL
Specific Gravity= =0.9603
1g
1 mL

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.
Solution:
Mass of empty pycnometer = 50.00 g
Mass of pycnometer + water = 100.00 g
Mass of Pycnometer + oil = 94.00 g

Mass oil =mass pycnometer +oil massempty pycnometer

Mass oil =94.00 g50.00 g=44 grams

Masswater = masspycnometer +water mass empty pycnometer

Mass water =100.00 g50.00 g=50 grams

massoil
Specific Gravity=
masswater

44.00 g
Specific Gravity= =0.8800
50.00 g

4. An insoluble powder weighs 12.00 g. A pycnometer, weighing 21.00 g when empty, weighs
121.00 g when filled with water. When the powder is introduced into the emptied pycnometer,
and the pycnometer is filled with water, the three together weigh 130.00 g. What is the specific
gravity of the powder?
Solution:
Mass of insoluble powder = 12.00 g
Mass of empty pycnometer = 21.00 g
Mass of pycnometer + water = 121.00 g
Mass of pycnometer + insoluble powder + water = 130.00 g
Mass of pycnometer + insoluble powder = 33.00 g

mass pycnometer+insoluble water +water +mass pycnometer+insolube powder

( mass pycnometer+ watermassempty pycnometer )
mass pycnometer +insolublewater mass empty pycnometer
Specific Gravity=

33.00 g21.00 g
Specific Gravity= =4.00
( 121.00 g21.00 g )(130.00 g+33.00 g)