Specific Gravity Determination of Powdered Food Products Experiment Number 2 I.

Introduction and Objectives Like that of powdered food samples, one can determine the specific gravity of liquid samples where its density is compared to the water density at specified temperature. Many factors affects the liquid samples density and such these is the sample's sugar content . The sugar content can could higher the liquid sample's density , thus the higher the sugar content the higher its density. Specific gravity determination in a liquid sample can help quantify the buoyancy of a substance in a fluid. If a substance's relative density is less than one then it is less dense than the reference; if greater than 1 then it is denser than the reference. If the relative density is exactly 1 then the densities are equal; that is, equal volumes of the two substances have the same mass. If the reference material is water then a substance with a relative density (or specific gravity) less than 1 will float in water. Another principal use of specific gravity measurements in industry is determination of the concentrations of substances in aqueous solutions . Mechanical device are available to measure the specific gravity and sugar content of a liquid sample. Hydrometer, used for measuring specific gravity of liquid, works on the principle that a floating body displaces a volume of liquid whose weight is equal to its own; the lighter the liquid-the less its specific gravity, the deeper the body sinks because a greater amount of liquid is required to equal the body's weight. Refractometer, used to measure the sugar content of a liquid, works on the principle of refraction, the bending of light waves as they pass from one substance into another. These instruments were part of the whole experimentation. In this experiment, the specific gravity and sugar content of liquid samples were obtained via hydrometer and refractometer . The sugar content was then correlated to the liquid samples' density. The whole experimentation aimed to (I) determine the sugar content of the liquid sample (ii) correlate the specific gravity to that of the sugar content of the liquid sample and (iii) master the usage and the understand the principle behind the hydrometer and the refractometer. II. Material Used Through-out the experimentation the following apparatuses were utilized: hydrometer, brix refractometer, graduated cylinder, beakers, weighing balance, thermometer, spatula, and stirring rod. The following chemicals have completed the experiment: crystalline sugar, distilled water and the tetrapacked juice (Orange Magnolia Fruit Drink as sample). III. Procedure the experiment started with the preparation of the standard solutions by dissolving indicated amount of crystalline sugar to indicated amount of distilled water. The temperature and specific gravity of the standard solutions were then obtained using the thermometer and the hydrometer. The tetra-packed sample ere then transferred to a beaker and like that of the standard solutions, the temperature and specific gravity was determined using the thermometer and hydrometer. The hand refractometer was then callibrated using distilled water and was adjusted to zero. The degree Brix was of the satandard solutions was then determined via tha refractometer. Regression analysis was then performed to the accumulated data. The degree Brix of the tetrapacked sample was then determined with the the refractometer. Regression analysis was then performed to the accumulated data to determine the sugar content of the sample. Each process was done with three trials.

IV. Results and Discussion Table 1 Standard Solutions

Solution # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Table 2 Samples Data

Temperature 30.00 30.00 29.90 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00

Specific Gravity 1.030 1.040 1.050 1.060 1.070 1.080 1.100 1.110

Refracrometer 8.350 10.20 12.20 15.80 18.80 20.80 23.20 25.40

Solution #

Temperature

Specific Gravity

Refracrometer

1 2 3

30.00 30.00 30.00

1.020 1.020 1.020

6.000 6.000 6.000

The three trials have exactly the same temperature, accounted to this is that the samples same from the same source and were process by exactly the same way. Also, the specific gravity reading through the hydrometer was the same. Also, the degree Brix reading in the refractometer was the same. Comparing the results obtained for the standard solutions to the results obtained from the sample, it was found out that the results obtained is just the same. V. Conclusion It was then concluded that the sample has sugar content of 6.000 and has specific gravity of 1.02+0.000, which is a bit higher to that of the standard solution; this says that sugar content greatly affects the samples density. Thus, the higher the sugars content the higher its density causing to higher specific gravity.

VI. References How Stuff Works Online page. Hydrometer. Retrieved http://science.howstuffworks.com/hydrometer-info.htm

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11,

2010,

12:35pm

from

eHow Online page. How Does a Refractometer Work? Article by Donald Miller. Retrieved July 11, 2010, 1:15pm from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5314561_refractometer-work.html Integrated Publishing Online Site. Density and Specific Gravity. Retrieved July 12, 2010, 8:46pm from http://www.tpub.com/fluid/ch1e.htm

The Engineering Toolbox Online Site. Density, Specific Weight and Specific Gravity. Retrieved July 10,
2010, 5:51pm from http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/density-specific-weight-gravity-d_290.html