Experiment 2: DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY

I.

Objectives
1.
2.
3.

II.

To measure the specific gravity of various fluids using a hydrometer and compare it with
their theoretical values
To determine and compare the densities of different fluids using 2 methods measuring
specific gravity and measuring corresponding mass and volume
To determine the relationship of density and temperature

Theory

Fluids exhibit certain characteristics which may vary depending on the type of substance. One of
these characteristics is density. Density is an intensive property of a substance. It is defined as the mass per
unit volume and is often represented by the Greek letter (rho). The equation
=

(1)

where is the density, is the mass, and is the volume, is used to calculate the value of density. The

units of density are commonly expressed as 3 or 3 .

Certain changes in density may be observed during changes in pressure and temperature. These
changes are more evident in gases than in liquids and may be calculated theoretically using the Ideal Gas
Equation and its derived forms. The Ideal Gas Equation is defined as,
=

(2)

where P is the pressure at that condition, V is the volume of the substance, n is the number of moles of the

substance, R is the ideal gas constant and T is the temperature. Recalling that n is where m is the mass

and M is the molar mass of the substance and rearranging the equation, we can derive,
=

(3)

to calculate density. However, this law is only applicable for ideal gases. Certain equations derived from
Ideal Gas Law is used to represent density for real fluids including liquids (Smith, Van Ness, & Abbott,
2011).
Theoretically, density decreases with an increase in temperature. This may be explained by the
Ideal Gas Equation and Kinetic Molecular Theory. Kinetic Molecular Theory explains that an increase in
temperature increases the average kinetic energy of the molecules. As a result, the molecules are likely to
move faster therefore will more frequently hit the edge of its container. Since in the laboratory, ambient
pressure is kept constant, only an increase in volume can compensate for the increase in the number of
collisions between the molecules and the container. Consequently, the increase volume will lead to a
decrease in the density of the fluid in the container. (Brown, Bursten, Murphy, & LeMay Jr., 2009)

Decreasing density with an increase in temperature is true for most fluids except water. A
discrepancy may be observed at temperatures 0 to 4 . Water from 0 to 4 exhibits an increase in
density. However, above 4 , the density decreases again. This may be attributed to the hydrogen bonding
in the water. At 25 , water is rapidly breaking bonds between water and reforming them thus trapping a
few water molecules inside the lattice. This is the reason why liquid water is denser than ice. At
temperatures lower than 4 , water bonds break more slowly thus trapping only a few molecules which
decreases the density of the water (Shapley, 2011).
A related measure of density is specific gravity. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a
certain fluid to the density of a reference fluid which is water in most cases. Specific gravity is represented
as
. . =

(4)

where sp. gr. is the specific gravity, is the density of the fluid and is the density of the reference
fluid.
Specific gravity can be measured using a hydrometer. A hydrometer is a calibrated glass tube
ending in a glass sphere with weights that makes the tube upright when placed in a liquid. The hydrometer
operates under Archimedes principle wherein a partially or completely submerged object is acted upon
by an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body. A hydrometer can vary
in size and scales depending on the intended use. A hydrometer is submerged in a graduated cylinder
containing the liquid to be measured. The specific gravity of the fluid measured must be within the range
of the scale of the hydrometer. Adjust the range up or down depending on the behaviour of the hydrometer.
It may sink or be overly buoyant (H-B Instrument Hydrometer FAQs, 2016).

III.

Materials and Methods

A. Preparation
The experiment was conducted using distilled water, 10% salt solution, 10% sugar solution and cooking
oil together with the following materials: hydrometer, thermometer, top loading balance, beakers,
graduated cylinder, and a hot plate.
Certain procedures were made before the start of the experiment like wearing laboratory gown and
washing the glassware with distilled water to free it of contaminants. The 10% salt solution was made
before the experiment started. 100.00 grams of salt was weighed in a top loading balance. It was placed
inside a beaker and was diluted until the 1000 mL mark.
The same procedure was done in preparing the 10% sugar solution.
B. Experiment Proper
The graduated cylinder was set up for the measurement of specific gravity. The salt solution was
poured into the graduated cylinder at an amount just enough to submerge the hydrometer and get a
reading. The hydrometer was twisted so as to remove bubbles and minimize errors that may arise. The
specific gravity of the salt solution was determined and the readings were recorded. The process was
repeated for three different temperatures: 30, 40, and 50 degrees Celsius. This is not consistent with the pre-

laboratory discussion since external factors such as time constraint and heat loss were taken into account.
A hot plate was used to heat the salt solution to the desired temperatures. Three trials were made for each
conditions.
Simultaneously, the density was measured by getting the ratio of the mass of the salt solution to
its volume. A dry empty beaker was weighed using a top loading balance. The mass of the salt solution
was determined by subtracting the mass of the beaker with the salt solution by the mass of the empty
beaker. To minimize errors, given that the temperature of the salt solution will decrease as it comes in
contact with the cooler pipet and graduated cylinder, a temperature of 1 degree higher than the specified
temperature was selected.
After the salt solution reached 41 and 51 degrees Celsius, the beaker was removed from the hot
plate. The samples of salt solution to be used in the specific gravity measurement and density measurement
were taken immediately to ensure the accuracy of the readings.
The same procedure was done for all fluids. All the results were written in the laboratory notebook.

IV.

Results and Discussion

Based on the calculated experimental values, a plot of the average density vs. temperature was made.
This was illustrated by Figure 1 and 2 on page 5. It can be noted that for all the fluids tested in the
experiment there is a decreasing trend of density with temperature in the range of 30C to 50 C.
Table 1: Relationship between temperature and average density of water
From mass and volume measurements
Temperature(oC)

Average density (g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30.5

1.0990

0.9956

10.39

40

1.0097

0.9924

1.74

50

1.0090

0.9882

2.10

From specific gravity measurements

Temperature(oC)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30.5

1.0017

0.9956

0.61

40

0.9916

0.9924

0.08

50

0.9866

0.9882

0.17

Table 2: Relationship between temperature and average density of sugar solution

From mass and volume measurements
Temperature( C)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

29.5

0.8520

1.03513

17.69

41

0.7972

1.03138

22.71

50

0.8303

1.02696

19.15

From specific gravity measurements

Temperature(oC)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

29.5

1.0470

1.03513

1.14

41

1.0369

1.03138

0.54

50

1.0359

1.02696

0.87

Table 3: Relationship between temperature and average density of salt

From mass and volume measurements
Temperature(oC)

Average density (g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30

1.0617

1.0667517

0.48

41

1.0700

1.062485

0.71

51

1.0603

1.0574425

0.27

From specific gravity measurements

Temperature(oC)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30

1.0762

1.0667517

0.88

41

1.0721

1.062485

0.91

51

1.0661

1.0574425

0.82

Table 4: Relationship between temperature and average density of cooking oil

From mass and volume measurements
Temperature(oC)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30

0.8465

0.9107

7.05

40

0.8463

0.9092

6.92

50

0.8430

0.9025

6.59

From specific gravity measurements

Temperature(oC)

Average density(g/ml)

Theoretical density(g/ml)

Percent error (%)

30

0.9211

0.9107

1.15

40

0.9094

0.9092

0.02

50

0.9060

0.9025

0.39

Setting a linear best fit line in Figure 1, it can be noticed that the four fluids have negative slopes
clearly indicating that the density is inversely proportional with temperature. However, looking at the
individual points it can be seen that some of them increased with temperature. This should not be the case
since a decrease in density is expected with every increase in temperature. The inconsistencies can be
accounted as a result of human and/or environmental errors.

Average Density (g/mL) vs Temperature (C)

based on mass and volume measurements

1.14

Ave. Density (g/mL)

1.09

y = -5E-05x + 1.066

1.04
water
0.99

y = -0.0048x + 1.2333
sugar

0.94
salt

0.89
y = -0.0002x + 0.8522

0.84

oil

y = -0.0012x + 0.8757
0.79
29

34

39
44
Temperature (C)

49

Figure 1: Graphical relationship between temperature and average density for various fluids
based on mass and volume measurements

Average Density (g/mL) vs Temperature (C)

based on specific gravity measurements

1.14

Ave. Density (g/mL)

1.09
y = -0.0005x + 1.0904

1.04

y = -0.0005x + 1.0625

0.99

y = -0.0007x + 1.0203

water
sugar

0.94

y = -0.0011x + 0.9552

0.89

salt
oil

0.84
0.79

29

34

39
44
Temperature (C)

49

Figure 2: Graphical relationship between temperature and average density for various fluids
based on specific gravity measurements
A similar trend can be observed in Figure 2 wherein the average density used in the graph is based
on the specific gravity measurements. Still, the density of the four fluids continue to decrease with
temperature. This manifests on the negative slope of the curves. However, compared to Figure 1, a
smoother curve can be observed.

Another observation when comparing Figure 1 and Figure 2 is that among the four fluids only the
average density of the salt solution from mass and volume measurements and specific gravity
measurements closely coincided. Conversely, the average densities of oil and sugar solution deviated the
most. These discrepancies can be accounted to errors in preparation of the solution and in reading the
volume in the mass and volume measurements.
V.

Conclusion

In this experiment, a hydrometer is used to measure specific gravity of a certain fluid. Based on the
gathered data for specific gravity, the densities of the fluids were calculated and compared to its theoretical
values. From these data, it is observed that most of the calculated densities were close to their theoretical
values.
Another method used to measure density is by measuring the corresponding mass and volume of the
fluid. However, this method is more prone to errors; it can be noted that for oil and sugar solution, a
significant deviation (> 5%) was observed. It was evident that measurements based on the hydrometer were
more reliable than the mass and volume measurements.
Also, based on the result of experiment, an inverse density-temperature relationship can be observed.
An increase in temperature corresponds to a decrease in density of the fluids. Although minor experimental
errors were encountered, the expected decrease in density correlates with the increase in temperature. This
observation is consistent with the theoretical assumptions of the Kinetic Molecular Theory.

VI.

References

Noureddin, H., Teoh, B., & Clements, L. (1992). Densities of Vegetable Oils and Fatty Acids. Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering Reasearch and Publications.
Brown, T., Bursten, B. E., Murphy, C. J., & LeMay Jr., E. H. (2009). Chemistry: The Central Science.
Pearson Prentice Hall.
Green, D. W., & Perry, R. H. (2008). Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook 8th Ed. McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
H-B Instrument Hydrometer FAQs. (2016). 102 West Seventh Ave Trappe: SP SCIENCEWARE. Retrieved
from SP Scienceware: http://www.hbinstrument.com/hydrometer-faqs/
Nordic Sugar. (n.d.). The Functional Properties of Sugar. Copenhagen K, Denmark .
Shapley, P. (2011). Temperature Effects on Density. Retrieved from
http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/pshapley/GenChem1/L21/2.html
Smith, J., Van Ness, H., & Abbott, M. (2011). Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics.
McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

Appendices

a. . Raw Data

Legend:

Table 5. Fluid: Distilled Water

Temperature
Combined Mass (g)
30.5C
Trial 1
36.69
Trial 2
36.69
Trial 3
36.82
40C
Trial 1
35.72
Trial 2
35.86
Trial 3
35.81
50C
Trial 1
35.77
Trial 2
35.78
Trial 3
35.82

- outlier

Volume (ml)

Specific Gravity

Mass of water (g)

10
10
10

0.990
0.995
0.995

10.99
10.99
11.12

10
10
10

0.985
0.985
0.985

10.02
10.16
10.11

10
10
10

0.98
0.98
0.98

10.07
10.08
10.12

Table 6. Fluid: 10% Salt Solution

Mass of salt used: 100.00 g salt diluted with distilled water up to 1000mL
Temperature
Combined Mass (g)
Volume (ml)
Specific Gravity
30C
Trial 1
39.7
10
1.068
Trial 2
39.75
10
1.069
Trial 3
39.76
10
1.07
41C
Trial 1
39.85
10
1.065
Trial 2
39.8
10
1.064
Trial 3
39.81
10
1.066
51C
Trial 1
39.69
10
1.059
Trial 2
39.75
10
1.060
Trial 3
39.73
10
1.059
Table 7. Fluid: 10% Sugar Solution
Mass of sugar used: 100.14 g sugar in 900mL distilled water
Temperature
Combined Mass (g)
Volume (ml)
29.5C
Trial 1
68.96
20
Trial 2
68.18
20
Trial 3
68.15
20
7

Mass of salt soln (g)

10.58
10.63
10.64
10.73
10.68
10.69
10.57
10.63
10.61

Specific Gravity

Mass of sugar soln (g)

1.04
1.04
1.04

17.57
16.79
16.76

41C
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

67.28
67.45
67.27

20
20
20

1.03
1.03
1.035

15.89
16.06
15.88

Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

68.3
67.64
68.05

20
20
20

1.03
1.028
1.029

16.91
16.25
16.66

Combined Mass (g)

Volume (ml)

Specific Gravity

Mass of oil (g)

199.59
199.6
199.58

100
100
100

0.925
0.915
0.915

84.65
84.66
84.64

40C
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

199.57
199.57
199.56

100
100
100

0.903
0.902
0.905

84.63
84.63
84.62

50C
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

199.24
199.25
199.24

100
100
100

0.891
0.9
0.9

84.3
84.31
84.3

50C

Table 8. Fluid: Oil

Temperature
30C
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

b.

Sources of Theoretical Data

Theoretical Data for Distilled Water: from Perrys Handbook Table 2-305
Theoretical Data for Sugar (Sucrose) Solution (10%):
Leatherhead Food RA Scientific & Technical Surveys. Densities of aqueous sucrose solutions
Theoretical Data for Salt Solution (10%): from Perrys Handbook Table 2-90
Theoretical Data for Coconut Oil:
Densities of Vegetable Oils and Fatty Acids. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Reasearch
and Publications.

Sample Calculations

c.

Data:

Salt @ 30C
for trial 1
Mass of container:
29.12 g
Mass of container + water:
39.7 g
Volume of water:
10 ml
Specific gravity measurement using hydrometer (60F/60F):
1.058
Density of water @ 60 deg. Fahrenheit:
1.0067 g/ml [from Perrys Table 2-305]
Theoretical density of salt (NaCl) @ 30 deg. Celsius:
0.9956 g/ml [from Perrys 2-90]

Mass of salt solution = [mass of container with fluid] [mass of container]

= 36.69 g 25.7 g
= 10.99 g
1. Density of salt solution from mass and volume measurement for 30C:
1 =

10.58 g
10 ml

= . /

trial 1

2 =

10.63 g
10 ml

= . /

trial 2

2 =

10.64 g
10 ml

= . /

trial 3

1.1 Average density

1 + 2 + 3
1.058 + 1.063 + 1.064
=
= . /
3
3

2. Density of salt solution from specific gravity measurement:

1 = (. . )(,60 ) = 1.068(1.0067) = . g/ml

trial 1

2 = (. . )(,60 ) = 1.069 (1.0067) = . /

trial 2

2 = (. . )(,60 ) = 1.07 (1.0067) = . /

trial 3

2.1 Average density

1 + 2 + 3
1.0752 + 1.0762 + 1.0772
=
= . /
3
3
9

Percentage error from theoretical density versus:

i.

Density based on Mass and Volume measurements:

%error = |

%error = |

1.0617 1.0667517
|
1.0667517

100

100

%error = . %

ii. Density based on Mass and Volume measurements:

%error = |
%error = |

1.0762 1.0667517
|
1.0667517

100

100

%error = . %
3.

Q-Test for determining outliers

=

| |

(5)

where = .
For a sample size of n=3 and standard confidence level of 0.5 the corresponding tabulated Q, =
0.994. This means that for every sample size, if a suspected value has a > it is considered as an
outlier in this experiment.
Example:

from Table 5. Fluid: Distilled water

The following specific gravity were measured: 0.990, 0.995, and 0.995 with 0.990 as the suspect.
Plugging the values in equation (5) we get =
therefore 0.990 is an outlier and is marked

|0.9900.995|
0.9950.990

= 1. Since = 1 > ,

Date of Experiment: February 15, 2016

Date Submitted: February 25, 2016

Team Name: VALIANT

Team Members: Condez, Nuevaespaa, Romelo. Silubrico

10