ASTM Test Methods appropriate for Micromeritics and Particulate Systems Instruments. However, these two terms are often confused. Relative density and specific gravity are two concepts used in comparing densities of solids, liquids and gas. And those materials which are calculated to have a specific gravity below 1, they can float over water. Density is used for local and marketable applications; on the other hand, specific gravity is used to result in the concentration of different solutions. Mass of the material varies with the change in temperature. It is defined as the ratio of a density of a substance to the density of the water at a specific temperature, i.e., 4-degree centigrade. The symbol of density is P, whereas there is no symbol of specific gravity due to it has no unit. It’s a measurement of how many times the given material is denser than the reference material. Density depends upon the temperature and pressure; on the other hand, specific gravity can be precisely measured at 4-degree centigrade. The formula for density is ρ = m / V, where m is mass and V is the volume of liquid. Internal Customers vs. Density has S.I unit which kg per cubic meter; on the other hand, specific gravity has no units because it is the proportion of two same quantities. unit of Density is kilogram per meter cube, There is no S.I. Why is it essential to mention the temperature of the material at which its specific gravity is computed. Specific gravity is often abbreviated as sp gr. When taking specific gravity measurements, it is important to correct for temperature. Further, refer to the table drawn below to know about the difference between density and specific gravity. If you increase the amount of a substance, it will increase the mass but will not affect the density. Take this example: Saltwater aquarium enthusiasts measure the amount of salt in their water by specific gravity, where their reference material is freshwater. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. The calculation of specific gravity has applications in industries for the measurement of the solutions concentration. The density of a material tells you how close the molecules are packed and how heavy the molecules are. You will be able to understand different pointers which distinguish between the two terms. Both density and specific gravity describe mass and may be used to compare different substances. Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water at its densest (at 4 °C or 39.2 °F); for gases, the reference is air at room temperature (20 °C or 68 °F). The density is defined as the mass of a substance per unit volume. Please cite your sources… There is an ambiguity in the answer. What Is the Difference Between Density and Specific Gravity? The reference material is air for gases and water for liquids most of the times. We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising. But, it cannot have the value zero itself. Specific Gravity - Sugar Conversions Brix ( ° Bx) is a graduated scale , used on a hydrometer, which indicates the weight of sugar per volume of solution at a given temperature. Further, we consider the specific gravity of water at standard temperature and pressure as 1, so if the SG of a substance is 5, it means it is five times denser than water. The main difference between density and specific gravity is its use in measuring this mass of a liquid. Specific gravity is used in simple industries, such as milk and rubber industries, to determine the quality of raw materials. The symbol of density representation is ρ. Particularly, in industries, these terms are widely important to weigh different substance and to calculate the concentration of liquids. Density – The ratio between mass and volume of a liquid determines the density of a liquid. When measuring the density and specific gravity, we use the masses of materials; therefore, these terms depends on temperature and pressure because mass is affected by temperature and pressure. Density provides an absolute measure, whereas specific gravity provides a relative measure. Density is more precisely in measuring the volumetric mass density. Summary – Density vs Specific Gravity. The density of a material can be found by taking the proportion of the mass of the material to the volume of the material. Specific gravity, ratio of the density of a substance to that of a standard substance. Usually, we denote density as “p” and specific gravity as “SG”. In this article, we are going to discuss relative density and specific gravity in depth and about their applications, definitions, similarities and differences. Here, the value of reference density is 50 g/ m3. – It is the density of a liquid compared to the density of another material for reference. Density is depended upon the temperature and pressure as the temperature increases, the volume for the substance is increased, and the density of the substance decreases as in pressure. Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: apparent specific gravity, definition of density, definition of specific gravity, Density, Pycnometer, relative density, specific gravity, specific gravity bottle. The number generated by a calculation of specific gravity provides the answer. use in measuring this mass of a liquid. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Similarly, if the SG of a substance is less than one, it will float on the surface of the water. Density provides an absolute measure, whereas specific gravity provides a relative measure. – Relative density and specific gravity are almost the same quantity. The density of iron is 7850 kg/m 3. The specific gravity of iron related to water with density 1000 kg/m 3 is. If the relative density is lesser than a unit the substance floats on water. Density is represented by units, whereas specific gravity is not represented by units. Specific gravity – It is the density of a liquid compared to the density of another material for reference. Density is defined as mass per unit volume. The density of water is 1.0 g/ml. Specific gravity is the ratio of a material's density with that of water at 4 °C (where it is most dense and is taken to have the value 999.974 kg m -3 ). Example 5: Specific Weight of Water . Density is defined as the factor which shows the measurement of the mass per unit volume; on the other hand, specific gravity is defined as the density measurements with respect to the measurement of the density of water. Temperature and pressure are two factors that affect the density; for instance, when we increase the pressure, the volume of an object decreases, which enhances the density of that particular object. Density is the material per unit volume while specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Specific gravity can only find at 4-degree centigrade because of the Density of the substance in water and water volume is changing by changing the temperature.