Density, Specific Gravity, and Specific Volume

Density

Density is described as the amount of mass per unit volume. It used the unit $\text{g}/\text{mL}$ and can be calculated using the formula below:

Density Formula

• Use case:
  • for calculating the density of a substance.
• Variables:
  • $\rho$ - density of a substance
  • $m$ - mass of a substance
  • $V$ - volume of a substance
• Formula: $\rho =\frac{m}{V}$

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Specific Gravity

Specific gravity is the unit-less ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of equal volume of a standard substance.

The standard substance for solids and liquids is water, and for gases it is hydrogen.

Specific gravity can be calculated using the formula below:

Specific Gravity Formula

• Use case:
  • for calculating specific gravity of a substance
• Variables:
  • $\text{sp gr}$ - specific gravity of a substance
  • $m_{\text{substance}}$ - weight of a volume of substance
  • $m_{\text{water}}$ - weight of equal volumes of water
• Formula: $\text{sp gr}=\frac{m_{\text{substance}}}{m_{\text{water}}}$

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Specific Volume

Specific volume is similar to specific gravity, but it represents the unit-less ratio of volume compared to the volume of a standard substance of equal weight.

It can be calculated by reciprocating a substance’s specific gravity or using the formula below:

Specific Volume Formula

• Use case:
  • for calculating specific volume of a substance
• Variables:
  • $\text{sp vol}$ - specific volume of a substance
  • $v_{\text{substance}}$ - volume of a weight of substance
  • $v_{\text{water}}$ - volume of equal weight of water
• Formula: $\text{sp vol}=\frac{v_{\text{substance}}}{v_{\text{volume}}}$

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