NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

NAME: ____________________________________ DATE:____________________

GROUP # _________________ SECTION: ________________

EXPERIMENT # 3
DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND PRESSURE HEAD USING
MANOMETER

I. OBJECTIVE:
To determine the pressure head using reference fluids other fluids over a
mercury U-tube manometer.

II. APPARATUS:
U-tube manometer Funnel Glass Flask
Mercury Gasoline Oil
Water Carbon tetrachloride Ethyl alcohol

III. THEORY:
A manometer is a device for measuring pressure. This could be
atmospheric pressure, or the pressure of a gas or liquid. One of the most
common types of pressure manometer devices is mercury manometer. A simple
mercury manometer can be made using a length of glass tubing. The tubing is
sealed at one end, and then mercury is placed in the tube such that no air
remains at the sealed end of the tube. The tube is then bent into a U shape, with
the sealed end at the top of one branch of the U, and the open end at the top of
the other branch of the U.
As the mercury in the tube moves to the bottom of the U shape, a vacuum
results in the sealed end of the tube. At this end of the tube, there is no air to
produce a downward pressure on the mercury. The open end of the tube can
then be exposed to the air or gas, the pressure of which is to be measured. The
difference in the height of the mercury in the two sides of the manometer
provides the measurement that can enable the pressure of the gas to be
determined.
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

By balancing the forces on each side of the leg, a relationship between

pressure and manometer displacement can be established.

Change in pressure = ΔP = 𝛾h = ρgh

Where: ΔP = pressure difference between the ends of the two legs of

manometer.
𝛾 = unit weight of fluid; ρ = density of fluid and g = acceleration due to gravity.

Reference: Fluid Mechanics by Al Shemmeri

And http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-manometer.htm
http://www.efunda.com/formulae/fluids/manometer.cfm

IV. PROCEDURE:
1. Set up the apparatus by placing the funnel on top of one leg of
manometer.
2. Place some amount of water/alcohol inside the U-tube manometer.
3. Add considerable amount of the fluid of interest in one leg of the U-tube
manometer.
4. Read the difference in fluid level between the two legs of manometer.
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY
5. Repeat the procedures for three trials by adding or increasing the fluid in
the manometer. Record each fluid level difference.
6. Repeat the aforementioned procedures for different fluids (i.e. Carbon
tetrachloride, gasoline, ethyl alcohol, etc). Record all vertical heights or
fluid deflection in the manometer.

V. DATA & RESULTS

RECORDED HEIGHT
FLUIDS TRIAL # 1 TRIAL # 2 TRIAL # 3
OIL
WATER

RECORDED HEIGHT

FLUIDS TRIAL # 1 TRIAL # 2 TRIAL # 3

VINEGAR

WATER

RECORDED HEIGHT
FLUIDS TRIAL # 1 TRIAL # 2 TRIAL # 3
GASOLINE
WATER

RECORDED HEIGHT
FLUIDS RECORDED
TRIAL #1 HEIGHT TRIAL TRIAL
FLUIDS TRIAL # 1 TRIAL # 2 # 2# 3 # 3
TRIAL
GASOLINE
SOY SAUCE
WATER
WATER RECORDED HEIGHT
FLUIDS TRIAL # 1 TRIAL # 2 TRIAL # 3
GASOLINE
WATER
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

VI. COMPUTATIONS
Apply manometric or summation of pressure head to check the specific gravity of
fluids used in the laboratory.
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

VII. DRAWING:

VIII. OBSERVATION & CONCLUSION:

 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FLUID MECHANICS LABORATORY

IX. PICTURES: