CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – UNIVERSITY

CEBU CITY

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

MECHANICS OF FLUID
EXPERIMENT NO. 1

NAME:
COURSE & YEAR:
GROUP:
DATE:

I. TITLE: DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LIQUID USING U-TUBE

II. OBJECTIVE:
To determine the specific gravity of an unknown liquid using the principles of pressure
in a U-Tube

III. MATERIALS:
1. Liquid of unknown specific gravity
2. Distilled Water
3. Kerosene

IV. APPARATUS
1. Plastic or Glass U-Tubing on stand
2. Measuring stick
3. Thermometer
4. Funnels

V. THEORY
The pressure head at any given point is equal to the sum of the pressure heads of the
liquids above or below the point expressed in terms of a single liquid. Pressure head is positive
when going down and negative when going up.

VI. PROCEDURE
Procedure A:
1. Pour about 5 cc of water in a U-tube
2. Pour some amount of liquid with unknown specific gravity in one end of the
tube
3. Remove trapped air inside the U-Tube by tapping
4. Measure the difference in liquid level of each liquid.
Procedure B:
1. Recheck value obtained in procedure A by using procedure B.
2. Pour about 5cc of water in a U-tube
3. Pour some amount of unknown liquid in one end of the U-tube.
4. Pour some amount of kerosene in the other end of the tube.
5. Remove trapped air inside by tapping.
6. Measure the difference in liquid level of each liquid.

VII. SKETCH (Draw the setup of how the experiment is done)

VIII. COMPUTATIONS

where
h1 = height of liquid of unknown specific gravity
above water
h2 = height of water in one leg of tube (referenced
from the lower level of water on the other end)
h3 = height of kerosene in one leg of tube above
water (sp. Gr. = 0.78)

Procedure A:

h1 (sp. Gr. Unknown liquid)(9.81) = h2(9.81)

Procedure B:

h 1(s . g . of unknownliquid )
- h 2 - h3 = 0
s . g . of water