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Density
Density is defined as’ mass per unit volume’ called mass density’ or as ‘weight per cubic unit’,
eg, kilogrammes per cubic metre (weght density). In boat calculations either kilogrammes or
tones per cubic metre are normally used. Examples of Weight density are:
Fresh water : 1,000kg or lt/mᵌ
Salt water : 1,025kg or 1ˑ025t/mᵌ
Mild steel(approx.) : 7,850kg or 7ˑ85t/mᵌ
Diesel oil (approx.) : 850kg or 0ˑ85t/mᵌ
For weight density the expression ‘specific weight’ is also used. The mass density is
given the symbol ϱ and weight density the symbol w.
Specifc gravity
The specific gravity of a substance is defined as the ratio of the weight of the substance to the
weight of substance to the weight of substance of fresh water. If a volume of one cubic metre of
the substance is considered, then it can be seen that the specific grafity = (density of
substance)/(density of fresh water),or conversely the density of the substance is the product of its
specific grafity an the density of fresh water, ie,
Density of substance (kg/mᵌ = specific grafity x 1,000kg/mᵌ); or (t/mᵌ = specific gravity x
lt/mᵌ)
Examples:
(1) The specific grafity of salt water is : specific gravity = 1,025/1,000 = 1ˑ025
(2) An oil fuel of specific grafity 0ˑ91 will have a density of: 1,000 x 0ˑ91 = 910kg/mᵌ
(3) A fuel tank is 2m x 1m in cross-sectional area and 1ˑ5m deep. If sounding the tank shows
the deep of oil of specific grafity 0ˑ84 to be 1ˑ25m, how many litres does it contain and
what is its weight?
Volume of ol = 2 x 1 x 1ˑ25 = 2ˑ5mᵌ
Now 1 litre is ˑ001mᵌ
Tank contains 2ˑ5/0ˑ001 = 2,500 litres
Density of oil of specific gravity , 0ˑ84 = 0ˑ84 x 1,000 = 840kg/mᵌ
Total weight of oil = 840 x 2ˑ5 = 2,100kg or 2ˑlt
Laws of floation
‘Archimedes principle’ states that ‘when a body that is partly or wholly immersed in a fluid,
it suffers an apparent loss in weight equal to the wheight of the fluid it dislaces’.
We have seen that the density of fresh water is 1,000kg/mᵌ; therefore, any body that is partly
or wholly immersed in fresh water will appear to suffer aweight of 1,000kg for every 1 cubic
metre of fresh water it displaces.