Liquid Density
Liquid Density
Liquid Density
II. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
In the first part of experiment 1A, the conductors will use
the Westphal Balance, a direct-reading instrument for
determining the densities of solids and liquids [4]. A 5 gm
mass is placed on the hook holding the plummet, and the
screw on the foot is adjusted until the index pointer on the end
of the beam lines up with the point on the frame. The plummet
is then completely immersed in the unknown liquid, and the
system is rebalanced, using a series of riders on the nine
equally paced notches on the beam, thus giving the value of
the added mass for each decimal place. This gives the bouyant
force of the liquid relative to water, and hence the specific
gravity, which may be obtained to four decimal places [5].
This was done first with distilled water followed by the
unknown liquid.
In the second part of experiment 1A, a hydrometer is used
as the instrument to measure the specific gravity of the
unknown liquid. A hydrometer is usually made of glass and
consists of a cylindrical stem and a bulb weighted with
mercury or lead shot to make it float upright. The liquid to be
tested is poured into a tall container, often a graduated
cylinder, and the hydrometer is gently lowered into the liquid
until it floats freely. The point at which the surface of the
liquid touches the stem of the hydrometer is noted.
Hydrometers usually contain a scale inside the stem, so that
the specific gravity can be read directly [2].
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
For determining the density of a substance using the
Westphal Balance, calculating the density of groups unknown
liquid relative to water, the following formula used is:
Where:
= equilibrium rider moment in water
The equilibrium rider moment values where obtain
by subtracting reading when plummet is balanced in air from
the reading when plummet is submerged and averaging three
readings. Thus these values where obtained:
= 0.9957 g/cm
3
@ 30C
= 0.7845
= 0.9990
Thus density of unknown (
| |
| |