Name: ______________________________________ Date: _____________

Year and Section: _____________________________ Group No.: ________

Experiment No. 1

SPECIFIC GRAVITY DETERMINATION OF LIQUIDS

I. Objective:
To determine the specific gravity of different liquid substances using specific
gravity bottle, Westphal balance and hydrometer.
II. Reagents/Materials:
Clove Oil Dessicator
Ethyl Alcohol Graduated Cylinder 1000mL or 500 mL
Distilled Water Hydrometers
Glycerin Pycnometer with thermometer
Liquid Petrolatum Westphal Balance
Sucrose Analytical Balance

III. Procedure:
A. Specific Gravity Determination using Specific Gravity Bottle or Pycnometer
1. Wash and clean the pycnometer together with the cap and thermometer. Dry the
pycnometer and cap in the oven. In drying, do not include the thermometer.
2. Allow to cool in a dessicator, and then wash and then weigh your empty pycnometer
on analytical balance together with the cap and thermometer.
3. Fill the bottle with sample liquid and fit the thermometer and cap back to the
pycnometer with due precautions to prevent bubbles to appear in the sample.
4. Allow the pycnometer with its contents to reach 25oC and weigh by immersing it in
cold water.
5. Remove the contents of the bottle and wash with water. Dry in the oven and cool in
the dessicator.
6. Fill the bottle with distilled water and follow the same procedure as that of the sample
liquid.
7. Calculate the specific gravity of the sample liquid using the formula:
Sp. Gr. = Weight of the sample / Weight of distilled water

B. Specific gravity determination using Westphal Balance

1. Balance the apparatus in a firm level ground. Be sure that the leveling screw is just
beneath the arm that supports the plummet. Then make fine adjustment with the

1
 leveling screw and mass-screw at the pointer until the pointer lines up with the
register mark.
2. Fill the cylinder with distilled water. Adjust the height of the water and/or balance to
completely submerge the plummet. Place the largest rider on the hook where the
plummet is attached. Balance again the instrument adjusting leveling screw. Mark
the level of the water.
3. Wash and clean the plummet and the graduated cylinder. Let it dry, then fill the
cylinder with the sample liquid on the same level reached by the water in number 2.
4. Let the plummet hang free in the sample liquid without touching the cylinder wall. Set
the riders on the beam until balance is restored. Read the specific gravity of the
liquid, the largest rider (5g) representing the first decimal place, second largest rider
(0.5g) the second decimal and the third largest rider (0.05g) the third decimal place
and the smallest rider (0.005 g) representing the fourth decimal place. For example,
at 25oC the four weights are set to 9,9,8 and 8 respectively, then the specific gravity
will be read as 0.9988.
C. Specific gravity determination using Hydrometers
1. Be sure the Hydrometer is clean and dry.
2. Place enough sample liquid in a 1000 mL or 500 mL graduated cylinder.
3. Immerse the hydrometer slowly in liquid at a point below where it naturally sinks.
4. Do not make reading until the hydrometer and liquid are at rest and free from air
bubbles.
5. The temperature of the hydrometer and liquid tested should be equal.
6. Read the specific gravity of the sample liquid directly from the calibration of the
instrument.

IV. Computation
Calculate the specific gravity of the liquid using the specific gravity bottle method using the
following data.

Weight of empty pycnometer =

Weight of pycnometer filled with sample liquid =
Weight of pycnometer filled with distilled water =

Weight of sample liquid =

weight of pycnometer filled with sample – weight of empty pycnometer

Weight of distilled water =

weight of pycnometer filled with distilled water – weight of empty pycnometer

Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________

Year and Section: _____________________________ Group No.: _____

Experiment No. 1

SPECIFIC GRAVITY DETERMINATION OF LIQUIDS

2
I. Objective:

II. Results/Data:

A. Specific gravity of the sample liquids using specific gravity bottle method

DATA Liquid Ethyl Clove Syrup Glycerin

Petrolatum alcohol oil

Weight of empty pycnometer

Weight of pycnometer with liquid

Weight of pycnometer with
distilled water

Weight of sample liquid

Weight of distilled water

Specific gravity of liquid

B. Specific gravity of liquids using Westphal balance

SAMPLE Liquid Ethyl Clove oil Syrup Glycerin

LIQUIDS Petrolatum alcohol
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

C. Specific gravity of liquids using Hydrometers

SAMPLE Liquid Ethyl Clove oil Syrup Glycerin

LIQUIDS Petrolatum alcohol
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

3
III. Computations:

III. Remarks/Conclusion:

IV. Questions:

1. In what way is specific gravity useful in pharmacy?

2. What are the different methods of determining specific gravity of liquids?

3. Differentiate baume light and baume heavy hydrometers?

4
4. Give examples of liquids lighter than water and examples of liquids heavier
than water. Give their specific gravity and their uses as specified in the
Remington’s Pharmaceutical Sciences.

5. What temperature is recommended to perform the specific gravity

determination of liquids?

6. Illustrate and label the parts of pycnometer, Westphal balance and

hydrometers. Give the use of each part.

A. pycnometer

5
B. Hydrometer

C. Westphal Balance

6
7