Experiment No.

Density of Liquids

Abstract

The experiment aimed to determine the density of given solutions using a pycnometer and a
Westphal balance. Using a pycnometer, the group were able to determine the density of the
water and the unknown liquid at different temperatures. Also, with a Westphal balance, the
specific gravity of the unknown liquid was obtained, and the density was calculated from it. To
𝑚
determine the density of the substance, we used the ratio for density 𝜌 = , where m is the
𝑉

mass of the unknown and V is the volume of the pycnometer. The specific gravity of a
substance is the ratio of the density of the substance and a reference object, and is
dimensionless. The densities of the unknown obtained from the pycnometer method are 0.7949
g/ml, 0.7903g/ml and 0.7848 g/ml at 20°C, 25°C and 30°C respectively. The densities of the
unknown obtained from Westphal balance method are 0.79756 g/ml at 20°C, 0.79561g/ml at
25°C and 0.78254g/ml at 30°C. The experiment concludes that the density of a substance is
temperature dependent as it decreases as the temperature increases. The differences in the
obtained values through the methods might have been affected by factors including the
temperature, accuracy in readings of the instrument and the instrument itself.

IV. Data and Results

Liquid 1
20°C 25°C 30°C
Weight of pycnometer, g 18.0062 18.0062 18.0062
Weight of pycnometer and water, g 42.9893 43.002 43.0266
Weight of water, g 24.9831 24.9958 25.0204
Temperature of water, °C 20.9 27.1 30.3
Density of water, g/mL 0.9982 0.997 0.9956
Volume of pycnometer, mL 25.0282 25.071 25.131

Weight of pycnometer and liquid, g 37.9022 37.8199 37.7291

Weight of liquid, g 19.896 19.8137 19.7229
Temperature of liquid, °C 20.3 25.5 30.3
Density of liquid (pycnometer method), g/mL 0.7949 0.7903 0.7848

Temperature of liquid, °C 19.8 25.6 31.8

Density of liquid (Westphal Balance method), g/mL 0.79756 0.79561 0.78254
Specific Gravity 0.786 0.798 0.799
V. Discussion
Interpretation of data
Density is a property of a material which varies in different conditions such as
temperature and pressure. The densities of the unknown obtained from the pycnometer
method are 0.7949 g/ml, 0.7903 and 0.7848 g/ml 20°C, 25°C and 30°C respectively. The
densities of the unknown obtained from Westphal balance are 0.79756 g/ml at 20°C,
0.79561 at 25°C and 0.78254 at 30°C. The result shows that as the temperature of the
substance increases, the density decreases. In addition, the volume of the pycnometer
increases along with temperature. The density of the unknown obtained through
pycnometry varied from the density obtained through Westphal Balance method by
5.31x10-3 g/ml to 2.66x10-3 g/ml, in which the densities obtained with pycnometer are
lower than those of obtained by the Westphal balance.
The mass of the pycnometer did not change because it is not affected by the increase in
temperature. As the material is exposed to an increase in temperature, a volumetric
expansion occurs and the volume of the substance increases while retaining its mass. This
explains why the volume of the pycnometer increases along with temperature. The density
of the substance decreases as opposed to the volume because its volume is inversely
proportional to its density as the density is defined as the ratio of the mass of the substance
to its volume.

Reasons for deviations

One main factor that affected the obtained data is the maintenance of the required
temperatures, 20°C, 25°C and 30°C. Since the volume is dependent on the temperature, the
temperature should be held constant to maintain a constant volume of the substance and a
more accurate reading of the density. Also, the mass of the pycnometer might have been
affected by the way how the researchers held and dried the Pycnometer or the way it was
brought to the balance room. This is because the moist outside the Pycnometer might have
increased the mass of the object if not dried well, thus affecting the density. In addition,
another human error such as the reading of the instrument is subjective which also affected
the data obtained. Another factor affected the results might be the instrument itself such as
in the weights of the Westphal balance where some of it was corroded.

VI. Conclusion
 The experiment is successful in obtaining the density of the substance with the use if
pycnometer and its specific gravity with the use of Westphal balance. The differences in
the obtained values through the methods might have been affected by factors including the
temperature, accuracy in readings of the instrument and the instrument itself.

VII. Appendices

References:

Determining Density Using the Pycnometer. (n.d.) Retrieved 12 February 2017, from
https://www.researchgate.net/file.PostFileLo ader.html?id...assetKey...
Helmenstine, A. (2016) Difference between Density and Specific Gravity. Retrieved 12
February 2017, from http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryter minology/a/What-Is-The-
DifferenceBetween-Density-And-Specific-Gravity.htm
Westphal Balance (2004) Retrieved 12 February 2017, from
http://everything2.com/title/Westphal+Balan ce
Hutten, I. M. (2016). Chapter 6 – Testing of Nonwoven Filter Media. Handbook of Nonwoven
Filter Media (Second Edition). 343-408

Sample calculations:
At 20°C, where density, 𝜌𝐻2 𝑂 of water is 0.9982 g/mL

1. Weight of water = 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑦𝑐𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 − 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑦𝑐𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟

= 42.9893 𝑔 − 18.0062 𝑔
= 24.9831 𝑔

2. Volume, V of pycnometer:
𝑚 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝜌𝐻2𝑂 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑚
𝜌𝐻2𝑂 =
𝑉
Therefore,
𝑚
𝑉=
𝜌𝐻2𝑂
24.9831 𝑔
=
0.9982 𝑔/𝑚𝐿

𝑉 = 25.0282 𝑚𝐿
3. Weight of unknown liquid = 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑦𝑐𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 − 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑦𝑐𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
= 37.9022 𝑔 − 18.0062 𝑔
= 19.8960 𝑔
4. Density, ρ of unknown liquid (Pycnometer method):
 𝑚 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑
𝑉 = 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑦𝑐𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑚
𝜌 =
𝑉
19.8960 𝑔
=
25.0282 𝑚𝐿
𝜌 = 0.7949 𝑔/𝑚𝐿
5. Density, ρ of unknown liquid (Westphal balance method):
Let 𝑠𝑝. 𝑔𝑟. = 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑
𝜌𝐻2 𝑂 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝜌 = (𝑠𝑝. 𝑔𝑟. )( 𝜌𝐻2 𝑂 )

= (0.7990)(0.9982𝑔/𝑚𝐿)
𝑔
= 0.7976 𝑚𝑙

Daily Journal
 Set-up pycnometer
 Perform procedure for 20°C for water
 Perform procedure for 25°C for water
 Perform procedure for 30°C for water
 Perform procedure for 20°C for unknown liquid
 Perform procedure for 25°C for unknown liquid
 Perform procedure for 30°C for unknown liquid