How glass fragments are analysed using Density

method??
 The physical properties of density are used most successfully for
characterizing glass particles.
 The density of an unknown sample of glass is determined by placing a
glass sample into suspension in a liquid solution. 
 The density of that liquid is then either measured directly or used
comparatively with another sample of glass.
 Glass from various sources such as windowpane, automobile headlights,
bottles and plate glass doors, all have slightly different densities.
 The density of various glass and related materials are given below:
• Window glass, flat – 2.47 to 2.56
• Head light glass—2.47 to 2.63
• Mica — 2.6 to 3.2
• Flint, glass— 2.9 to 5.9.
 It is of two types :
1. Density comparison by floatation method.
2. Density comparison by floatation method.

State the density method types and explain in brief.

The characterizing properties of glass depend not only on the constituent
elements, but also on the manner in which the glass has been treated during
manufacture. If the density and refractive index values are not comparable, this
certainly excludes the possibility that the glass fragments originated from the
same source.
1. Density comparison by floatation method.
 The crime and control glass piece samples are crushed to comparable
sizes with similar shapes which is one of the most important steps in
examination of glass density. Each piece of glass is sketched and marked.
 A clean and dry sample of crime glass particle is placed in a small beaker
containing bromoform (heavier liquid). The glass will float on the liquid
surface indicating that density of the liquid is greater than that of the
glass.
 Slowly add the less dense liquid, bromobenzene, drop wise with stirring,
until the particle is exactly suspended. One should be careful while
adding the mixture that it should be stirred with each addition so that air
bubbles, of any are removed.
 Added similar size, clean and dry sample of control glass. If both the
crime and control glass particles are suspended in the liquid, then the
density of both the glass particle is same to that of the liquid mixture.
Particles with different densities will either sink or float depending upon
whether they are denser or less dense than the liquid medium.
 The densities o the particle of the glass can be determined by calculating
density/specific gravity by floatation mixture using specific gravity bottle
or a pycnometer.
2. . DENSITY BY DENSITY GRADIENT TUBE
 In this method, vertical glass tube about 5mm in internal diameter
and 10-18 inches long is sealed at one end and filled with
successive layers of liquid in decreasing density.
 Gradient is such that the density at any level is less than that of
any lower level within the tube and greater than that of any level
higher within the tube.
 The standard gradient tube is made up of layers of two liquids
mixed in varying proportions, so that each layer has a different
density.
 When completed a density gradient tube usually has 6-8 layers.
 Place seven test tubes in a test tube rack.
 Prepare the mixtures of bromobenzene and bromoform in the
following ratios, by pipetting out the respective liquids into the
test tubes:
Pure bromoform – 6ml 8. 1ml of bromobenzene and 5 ml of
bromoform
2ml of bromobenzene and 4 ml of bromoform
3 ml of bromobenzene and 3 ml of bromoform
4 ml of bromobenzene and 2 ml of bromoform
5 ml of bromobenzene and 1 ml of bromoform
6 ml of bromobenzene
 The glass fragments should be carefully and gently placed in the
tube and allowed to settle down. These fragments will settle down
in the portions having the same density.
 Thus, the density of the liquid and hence of the fragments can be
determined