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Question About Specific Gravity
Janelle_5719
#1 Posted : Thursday, June 04, 2020 11:02:49 PM
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In class we were told that specific gravity = density of a substance/ density of water

We were also told that for a floating object, the specific gravity = the fraction of the object submerged because the fraction submerged= density of an object/ density of a fluid

I was wondering how fraction submerged is the specific gravity. Isn't specific gravity only for comparison to water? And doesn't the density of a substance have to be another fluid, not an object which is a solid?

Also if it is true that the fraction submerged = specific gravity, does that mean if an object is resting on the bottom of a container that the % of apparent weight loss = 1/specific gravity? (Because the % of Apparent Weight Loss = density of fluid/ density of an object).
Glen_3715
#2 Posted : Friday, June 05, 2020 2:57:40 AM
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Hi Janelle_5719,

In class I also mentioned that specific gravity can be taken relative to anything, not necessarily water. The formula in the CC specifies water only because that is most commonly how specific gravity is determined.

Also, specific gravity is just a relative density concept. So that means the densities in the equation do not have to be liquid. You can take the specific gravity of anything (solid, liquid, or gas) relative to anything else.

For your last questions, yes, % apparent weight happens to equal 1/specific gravity.
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