Exp.

3-b

Discussions
In this experiment, densities of some test liquids (cooking oil and motor oil in
around 30°C) are then computed with the help of the U-tube manometer. We
decided to put the water first then the test liquids cooking and motor oil in the
manometer due to the fact that oil floats on water as presumed from the previous
experiments to avoid unnecessary formation of globules of oil underneath that might
affect the reading of the respective gage pressure heads h 1,h2 and h3. While
observing the manometer, gage pressure heads are read at h 2, h3, and h1,
respectively, as shown below;

For the cooking oil, the values 14.2 cm, 8.3 cm, and 23.5 cm were observed
as h2, h3, and h1 and 12.2, 8.6, and 21.5 for the motor oil. Trials are then made at
different values of h for the two liquids to validate and to get average density of each
liquid. Since both ends of the tube are open to the atmosphere and therefore is
affected by the atmospheric pressure, pressure gage are used instead of the
absolute pressure for the following computation because the atmospheric pressure
at the ends cancelled out.

For the determination of the densities of the liquids, specific gravity of the test
liquids were calculated starting with zero gage pressure head at top level of h 2 as
shown in the figure, and with increasing pressure as it goes down and decreases as
it goes up, the resulting equation of heads in meter of water progressing through the
tube to zero gage head at top level of h 1 is given by γh2 + γh3 - γh1 = 0. The
obtained values of densities in different trials are gathered for the computation of the
average densities of the test liquids to be compared to the densities of the same
liquids that are solved using its mass-volume ratio in the succeeding part of the
experiment. It is done to get the percent error of the experiment, which is 4.091% for
cooking oil with an average density of 889.982 kg/m 3 and 7.294% for the motor oil
with an average density of 878.384 kg/m3.

Conclussion
As seen from the value of the percentage differences in the densities of the
test liquids with its mass-volume ratio, this experiment proves that using a U-tube
manometer as a way to determine the density of an unknown liquid produces a value
that is relatively close to as what the conventional method of mass-volume ratio
produces. It is also much easier to read (aside from the set up) because the
pressure heads are the only ones to be read and all is left are the computations.
Given that the manometer is sensitive to pressure changes, small changes in the
composition of liquids inside will pose an error in the result. Also, some obstructions
like some bubbles and formation of small globules of unknown liquid that are trapped
in between the liquids will make it much more difficult to read the pressure heads
and that is one of the disadvantages of using the U-tube manometer. Overall, this
method of taking the density of an unknown liquid produces a reliable result given
that it is done with high precision and careful handling, one that rivals that of the
conventional method.