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Determination of Density of A Liquid (NIADAS)

The document describes methods for determining the density of liquids using different devices. Three key devices are a pycnometer, Westphal balance, and hydrometer. Four sucrose solutions of varying concentrations were prepared and their densities measured using these devices at 25°C. The pycnometer was found to provide the most accurate densities as it has a fixed volume and allows for precise mass measurements. Densities increased with higher sucrose concentrations due to the greater mass packing the solution more closely together.

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1K views8 pages

Determination of Density of A Liquid (NIADAS)

The document describes methods for determining the density of liquids using different devices. Three key devices are a pycnometer, Westphal balance, and hydrometer. Four sucrose solutions of varying concentrations were prepared and their densities measured using these devices at 25°C. The pycnometer was found to provide the most accurate densities as it has a fixed volume and allows for precise mass measurements. Densities increased with higher sucrose concentrations due to the greater mass packing the solution more closely together.

Uploaded by

Grace N Malik
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Determination of Density of a Liquid

GRACE LYN NIADAS Y.


Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Architecture, Cebu Institute of Technology University, N. Bacalso
Ave. Cebu City, 6000 Philippines

The density of a liquid of a liquid can be determined using different density


measuring devices namely, Pycnometer, Westphal Balance and Hydrometer.
Four different concentrations of sucrose solution, with water as a reference
liquid are prepared and have distinct densities at a constant temperature of
25C due to the difference in the number of solute. It is more accurate and
convenient to use the pycnometer for weighing it up to three decimal places
decreases uncertainties of the data. As the concentration increases, the
density also increases. The determination of density can be obtained by
applying Archimedes principle with these apparatus stating that when a
body is immersed in a liquid its force is equal to the weight of the displaced
liquid.

1. Introduction
Density is a physical property of matter, defined in a qualitative matter
as the measure of the relative heaviness of objects with a constant
volume, as each element and compound has a unique density associated
with it. It may also refer to how closely packed or crowded the material
appears to be. It is calculated using the general equation:
=

m
v

Eq. A.1

Where is the density of the object, m is the mass and v is the


volume. It is usually expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm 3) or
grams per milliliter (g/ml).
All substances tend to expand as they are heated, causing the same
mass to occupy a greater volume, and thus lowering the density. For liquids,
this thermal expansion is caused by irregular kind of bumping or jostling of
motion that induced to an increasing average distance between molecules,
thus leading to increased volume and smaller density.
There are several ways in measuring the densities of liquids,
particularly the Pycnometer, Westphasls Balance and Hydrometer
A.1 Pycnometer
A pycnometer is a bottle with a capacity of usually 10 ml to 100 ml,
having a ground-glass stopper fitted with a thermometer and a side inlettube with a marked line and a ground-glass cap which are used in
determining the specific gravity of the liquid. It is first filled with a reference
fluid and its weight and volume where measured to get its density. Using
water as the reference liquid, it yields an equation for determining the
density of a liquid:

S =

MS

M H 2O H 2 O

Eq. A.2

Finally using the density of the substance using the formula:


SG=

S
H 2 O

Eq. A.3

A.2 Westphals Balance


Westphal's (or Mohr's) Balance is used to measure the specific gravity (or density) of
liquids. Depicted in the diagram below, the Westphals Balance operates by suspending a glass
tube (with a mercury thermometer contained within it) into a sample of a solution of unknown
density via a thin platinum wire. The scale relies on Archimedes' Principle of buoyancy and is
balanced by an array of horseshoe shaped counterweights which come in 5 g, 0.5 g, 0.05 g, and
0.005 g masses. These counterweights (sometimes called riders) respectively signify the ones
place of the specific gravity of the sample solution, the tenths place, the hundredths place, and
the thousandths place. The numerical value each rider represents is equal to the numbered notch
of the arm which it sits in when the scale is balanced. For example if the 1.000 and 0.0010
weights were on the ninth notch and the 0.1000 and 0.0100 weights were on the first and seventh
notches, respectively, the specific gravity, S, of the liquid relative to water at 2 degree Celsius, is
S = 9/10 x 1.000 + 1/10 x 0.1000 + 7/10 x 0.0100 + 9/10 x 0.0010
= 0.9179

A.3 Hydrometer
A hydrometer is a device for measuring some characteristics of a
liquid, such as its density (weight per unit volume) or specific gravity (weight
per unit volume compared with water). The device consists essentially of a
weighted, sealed, long-necked glass bulb that is immersed in the liquid being
measured; the depth of flotation gives an indication of liquid density with its

neck being calibrated to read density and specific gravity. The Baum
hydrometer is calibrated to measure specific gravity on evenly spaced
scales; one scale is for liquids heavier than water and the other is for liquid
lighter than water. With water as its reference liquid at 25C, the specific
gravity of the substance was determined using the equation:
SG=

145 Be
145 Be Beobtained

Eq. A.4

2. Materials and Methods


In this experiment, 200 ml of distilled water and 4 sucrose solutions
were prepared by dissolving 25 g, 50 g, 75 g and 100 g of sucrose in 200 ml
of distilled water. The temperatures of the solutions were stabilized to about
25C in a water bath.
B.1 Pycnomter
The pycnometer was cleaned and dried, making sure that there was no
contamination. After weighing the empty pycnometer, it was filled with
distilled water at standard temperature (25C), taking note of the recorded
weight. Excess liquid were allowed to entrain out the capillary tube when
placing the pycnometer. The weight of the empty pycnometer was
subtracted by the pycnometer filled with water to get the mass of the liquid
(H2O). The procedure was repeated for the four sucrose solution prepared.
The specific gravity and density of the liquids were then computed using Eq.
A.3 and Eq. A.4

B.2 Westphals Balance


Calibration of the Westphals Balance

The Balance was assembled as shown in the figure with the


plummet suspended in the air and without any of the riders on
the beam or hook. The Balance was adjusted by means of the
threaded counterpoise and the leveling screw, until the rest point
of the indicator, attached to the balance arm coincides with the
index pointer. The glass cylinder was filled about 2/3 full with the
pre-cooled distilled water at 25 degree Celsius. A 5 gram mass is
placed on the hook holding the plummet, and the leveling screw,
in the foot of the balance is adjusted until the index pointer on
the end of the beam lines up with the point on the frame, making
sure that the plummet does not touch the sides of the glass
cylinder.

Measuring the Density of any Liquid


After the Westphals Balance is calibrated, the glass cylinder was
emptied. And after the plummet was dried and washed with the
new liquid (solution 1), the glass cylinder was filled with the
liquid whose density is to be determined. At the same time the
temperature of the solution was recorded. The graded riders was
placed in the notched beam so that the indicator points of the

balance coincide. Same procedure was repeated in the remaining


prepared sugar solutions.

B.3 Hydrometer
About 800 ml of distilled water was placed in a graduated cylinder (or
Victormeyer Flask) at 25C. The temperature of the liquid was stabilized and
air bubbles present were removed in the walls of the cylinder. The
hydrometer was placed inside the flask and letting it sunk into the water to a
level of two smallest scale divisions below which it will float and then
releasing it. The hydrometer was read after stabilizing it for few minutes,
making sure it did not touch the side of the flask and reading the scale at the
lower meniscus. The procedure was repeated for the four sucrose solution
prepared. Eq. A.2 and Eq. A.3 were used to solve for the density and specific
gravity.

Fig. B.1
Pycnometer

Fig. B.2
Hydrometer

3. Results and Discussion


Table A.1 Pycnometer
Liquid

Readings

Specific

Density

Temperature

Sample

(g)

Gravity

(g/ml)

(C)

Water

25.28

1.0

0.99708

25

1.04480416
Solution 1

26.48

1.047863924

1
1.08227354

25

Solution 2

27.44

1.085443038

25

Solution 3

28.48

1.125

1.121715
1.14183014

25

1.14517405

25

Solution 4
28.95
Table A.2 Hydrometer
Liquid

Readings

Specific

Density

Temperature

Sample

(Be)

Gravity

(g/ml)

(C)

Water

1.0000

0.99708

25

Solution 1

1.035714286

1.03269
1.06306323

25

Solution 2

1.066176471

6
1.11212769

25

Solution 3

15

1.115384615
1.114173228

2
1.13839841

25

Solution 4

18

25

25

The densities computed on both apparatus were closed to the


theoretical densities of the sucrose solution in which the densities are
1.03g/ml, 1.06g/ml, 1.12g/ml, and 1.127gml respectively. As observed the
pycnometer gives a density closer to the theoretical densities that the
hydrometer. The pycnometer is most convenient to use and it gives a more
accurate density than the hydrometer and Westphals Balance, given that it
already has fixed volume and weighing it to the balance with three decimal
places, eliminating the uncertainties unlike the hydrometer whose scale can
lead to an estimated readings. The more concentrated the sucrose solution
is, the higher is his density while and increasing temperature leads to a
smaller density.

4. Conclusion
Density of a liquid can be determined by adopting Archimedes
Principle using the following apparatus: Pycnometer, Hydrometer and
Westphal Balance. The Archimedes principle states that the body immersed
in a fluid is buoyed up by the force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.
The pycnometer, which has few steps and less time-consuming, is more
convenient to use since it has already a fixed volume of the solution and
weighing the mass of the solution gives a more accurate density than the
other apparatus. The higher the concentration indicates more mass of the
solution making it more closely packed thus, increasing its density.

Reference
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/120Adensity.html
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Physical_Properties_of_M
atter/Bulk_Properties/Density

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