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University Of Benghazi
Faculty of engineering
Civil engineering department

Soil mechanics
CE 331

Lab report
Specific Gravity

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
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Index:
1. definitions & Introduction
2. Purpose of the experiment
3. Equipment
4. Test procedure
5. Calculations
6. Conclusion

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
3

Definitions & Introduction:

The specific gravity Gs of a soil is the ratio of the mass of a unit volume of a material
at a stated temperature to the mass of the same volume of distilled water. Or the
specific gravity of soil grains is unit weight of the solid particles to the unit weight
of distilled water.
The specific gravity of soil solid is used in calculating the phase relationships of
soils, such as the void ratio and the degree of saturation.
The specific gravity of soil solids is used to calculate the density of the soil solids.

The object of this experiment is to determine the specific gravity of soil solid using
a pycnometer.

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
4

Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the specific gravity of soil
solid using a pycnometer (volumetric flask).

Equipment:

1. 2 volumetric flask

2. Balance machine

3. Distilled water

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
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Test procedure:
1. Clean and dry the volumetric flask.

2. Carefully fill the flask with de-aired, distilled water up to the 500 ml

mark (The bottom of the meniscus should be at the 500 ml mark).

3. Measure the mass of the flask and the water W4

4. Put the amount of air-dried soil into an evaporating dish in g

5. Transfer the soil into the volumetric flask.

6. Add distilled water to the volumetric flask containing the soil until it is

about two-thirds full.

7. Remove the air from the soil-water mixture by mixing very hard with

water and try spin it.

8. Add a distilled water to the volumetric flask until the bottom of the

meniscus touches the opening of the volumetric, Dry the outside of the

flask.

9. Determine the combined mass of the bottle plus soil plus water (W3)

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
6

Calculations:
Data collected

Calculating the Gs using the equation:

(𝑊! − 𝑊" )
𝐺𝑠 =
(𝑊! − 𝑊" ) − (𝑊# − 𝑊$ )

(83.7)
𝐺𝑠" =
(83.7) − (53)

= 2.73

(114.1)
𝐺𝑠! =
(114.1) − (72.3)

= 2.73
Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
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Conclusion:
Typically, the specific gravity of soils is in the range 2.60 to about 2.80.
and our experiment after the calculations with two tests gave us 2.73
which means our sample is within the range of the soil sample.

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi
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References:
• Das, Braja M. Soil Mechanics Laboratory Manual. 2012.

• Density (specific gravity). Density (Specific Gravity) - an overview |

ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2022, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/density-specific-
gravity#:~:text=Typically%2C%20the%20specific%20gravity%20of,and%2
02.50%20(Figure%207.5).

• Test of specific gravity: Soil Mechanics (2022) ESE NOTES. Available at:
https://esenotes.com/test-of-specific-gravity-soil-mechanics/ (Accessed:
November 11, 2022).

Student name: Zakaria Ziad Student Number: 28268 Supervising: Ms.Eng. Fathia
Elhinaid ELsawi