1. What is Specific Gravity?

Specific Gravity (SG) is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance (typically water at 4°C). It's a dimensionless quantity that compares how dense a material is compared to water.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Specific Gravity formula:

Where:

• \( \rho \) — Density of the substance (kg/m³)
• \( \rho_{water} \) — Density of water (typically 1000 kg/m³ at 4°C)
• \( SG \) — Specific Gravity (dimensionless)

Explanation: The formula simply divides the substance's density by water's density to get a relative measure of density.

3. Importance of Specific Gravity

Details: Specific gravity is used in many industries including brewing, petroleum, chemistry, and medicine. It helps identify substances, assess purity, and determine concentration of solutions.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the substance's density in kg/m³ and the reference water density (default is 1000 kg/m³). Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is specific gravity dimensionless?
A: Because it's a ratio of two densities with the same units, which cancel out.

Q2: What's the specific gravity of water?
A: Exactly 1.0 when using water as the reference.

Q3: Does temperature affect specific gravity?
A: Yes, since density changes with temperature. Measurements should specify the temperature conditions.

Q4: What does SG > 1 mean?
A: The substance is denser than water and will sink in it.

Q5: How is SG different from density?
A: Density is an absolute measurement (mass/volume), while SG is a relative measurement comparing to water's density.