P RELIMS

PHARMA CALCULATIONS
113 LECTURE

UNIT 5: DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY

OUTLINE o Given: 78.00 g (mass) ; 15.00 g/mL (density)
I. Density, Volume, and Mass o Required: volume
II. Specific Gravity 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
o Solution: 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = = 𝑚𝐿
III. Density vs. Specific Gravity 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
A. Importance of Density and Specific Gravity in 78.00 𝑔
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = = 5.20 𝑚𝐿
Pharmacy 15.00 𝑔/𝑚𝐿
IV. Pycnometer o Answer: 5.2 mL
A. How to Use Pycnometer?  A 65 mL of unknown liquid has a density of 0.97 g/mL.
V. Graduated Cylinder Find the mass of the said liquid.
VI. Specific Volume o Given: 0.97 g/mL (density) ; 65.00 mL (volume)
o Required: mass
DENSITY, VOLUME, AND MASS o Solution: Mass = density x volume
Density (d) Mass = 0.97 g/mL x 65.00 mL = 63.05 g
 A physical property. o Answer: 63.05 g
 Mass per unit volume of a substance.
 Usually expressed as grams per milliliters (g/mL) or SPECIFIC GRAVITY
grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc or g/cm 3).  It is a ratio expressed decimally of the weight of the given
 Can be used as a conversion factor for switching substance to the weight of an equal volume of water
between mass and volume  It is a property of fluids related to density and viscosity.
 Practical Application: Submarine, Hot air balloon  It is a constant value for all substance (under measured
(Helium), Logs floating in water, Lava lamp. controlled conditions).
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑔
 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 𝑚𝐿  Water and Hydrogen are the standards for liquids and
Volume (v) gases, respectively.
 Space occupied by matter.  Pycnometer and Plummet Method → 2 laboratory
 1 cm3 = 1 mL applications to calculate specific gravity
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠  Sp Gr <1: lighter than water
 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑚𝐿
 Sp Gr >1: heavier than water
 Volume = length x width x height = y3  Has NO UNIT.
Mass 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
 Has something to do with inertia/gravitational force.
 Resistance to motion. Example Problem:
 Mass = density x volume = g o A specific gravity bottle weighs 23.66 g when filled with
water, it weighs 72.95g; when filled with Liquid A, it
DID YOU KNOW? weighs 73.56 g what is the specific gravity of the liquid?
 An easier way to remember the formula of o Given:
density, volume, and mass is through a Weight of empty pycnometer: 23.66 g
Weight of pycnometer + water: 72.95 g
triangle. Weight of pycnometer + Liquid A: 73.56 g
o Required: Specific gravity of Liquid A
o Solution:
Compute for the equivalent weight of water:
72.95 g – 23.66 g = 49.29 g
Compute for the weight of Liquid A:
73.56 g – 23.66 g = 49.9 g
Compute for specific gravity of Liquid A:
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 49.9 𝑔
𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = =
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 49.29 𝑔
Example Problems: = 1.01
o Answer: 1.01
 An unknown oil has a volume of 50 mL, add its mass was
45 grams. What is the density of the unknown oil? DENSITY VS SPECIFIC GRAVITY
o Given: 45 g (mass) ; 50 mL (vol.) DENSITY SPECIFIC GRAVITY
o Required: density Mass of an object per Ratio of a substance’s
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠
o Solution: 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
45 𝑔
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 unit volume. weight/density to the
𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 50 𝑚𝐿 = 0.9 𝑔/𝑚𝐿 weight/density of the
o Answer: 0.90 g/mL equal water volume.
 What is the volume of a liquid with a mass of 78.0 g and
a density of 15.0 g/mL?

ABEJAR, A. M. 1
 UNIT 5: DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Weight and volume is Density of the substance o Given:

Weight of marble 33.00 g
needed. and of the water is
Weight of the graduated cylinder 40.00 mL
needed. filled with 40 mL water.
Represented in absolute Represented in relative Weight of the graduated cylinder 70.00 mL
terms. terms. filled with 40 mL water with marble.
o Required: specific gravity
g/mL or g/cc No SI units. o Solution:
Used in many domestic Used in industries to Displaced volume of water after dropping the marble
and commercial measure the = Volume of water with marble – Initial volume of
water
applications. concentration of
solutions. Weight of displaced water = Displaced volume x
IMPORTANCE OF DENSITY AND SPECIFIC Density of liquid (water)
GRAVITY IN PHARMACY
 Indicator of the concentration of particles in a 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
solution and the purity/identity of a solution. 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
 Measure the volume of a material when a formula
is expressed in units of weight or to weigh an Displaced volume of water after dropping the marble
= 70.00 mL – 40.00 mL = 30.00 mL
equivalent amount of material when a formula is Weight of displaced water= 30.00 mL x 1 g/mL =
expressed in units of volume. 30.00 g
33.00 𝑔
PYCNOMETER 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = 1.10
30. 00 𝑔
 Pycnometer us a special glass bottle used to determine o Answer: 1.10
specific gravity,
 Generally available for lab use in volumes ranging from 1 SPECIFIC VOLUME
mL to 50 mL.
 Measurement of a material related to its volume and
 Have fitted glass stoppers with a capillary opening to mass.
allow trapped air and excess fluid to escape.
 Relates to solids, liquids, and gasses.
 Some have thermometer affixed in order to relate the SG.
 Quantifies the amount of space a certain mass occupies.
HOW TO USE PYCNOMETER? 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 1
1. Weigh an empty pycnometer.  𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
2. Fill with water, then weigh again.
3. Remove the water.
4. Fill with the unknown substance, then weigh again.
5. Solve for the SG.
Example Problems:
o Given:
Weight of an empty pycnometer. 36.25 g
Weight of a pycnometer filled with 50 86.25 g
mL water.
Weight of a pycnometer filled with 50 93.75 g
mL oil
o Required: specific gravity
o Solution:
Weight of water = Weight of pycnometer with water
– weight of empty pyconemeter

Weight of liquid = Weight of pycnometer with liquid –

Weight of empty pycnometer

𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

Weight of water = 86.25 g – 36.25 g = 50.00 g

Weight of liquid = 86.25 g – 93.75 g = 57.50 g
57.50 𝑔
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = 1.15 Reference(s):
50. 00 𝑔 Ansel, H. C., & Stockton, S. J. P. (2017). Pharmaceutical Calculations (15 th ed.).
o Answer: 1.15 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Macarilay, J. H. Pharm 113 (2021) – Pharmaceutical Calculations and
Techniques Notes
GRADUATED CYLINDER
 Solid is weighed first in air, then while immersed in water.
 Get the difference of the two weights.
 Based in Archimedes’ principle, the weight of the water is
displaced by the volume of the solid.
Example Problems:

ABEJAR, A. M. J. 2