Mapúa University
Muralla St. Intramuros, Manila
School Of Mechanical, Manufacturing, and Energy Engineering
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 1
EXPERIMENT NO. 1
SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND VISCOSITY
PANGILINAN, NIKKO L. Date of Performance: August 19, 2024
ME139L-3 / B5 Date of Submission: August 26, 2024
GROUP 2
SCORE
Engr. Jose Luis L. Villalon
Instructor
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
OBJECTIVES 3
THEORY/HYPOTHESIS 3
LIST OF APPARATUS 6
PROCEDURE 7
SETUP OF APPARATUS 8
FINAL DATA SHEET 9
SAMPLE COMPUTATION
TEST DATA ANALYSIS
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES
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OBJECTIVES
To determine the specific gravity of sample liquids, and fuels by pycnometer
and hydrometer method.
To be able to determine the viscosity of sample fluids (glycerin) using a
Falling Sphere Viscometer
THEORY/HYPOTHESIS
The properties of common liquids, gases, and vapors have been the subject of
lifelong investigation by many competent experimentalists; hence the required
information is usually available from reference tables and charts.
In the intimate mixing and vaporization of liquid fuel and air for proper combustion,
the volatility, viscosity, density and other properties of the fuel are important. The ASTM
has numerous standards which apply to petroleum products.
Density measurements of a liquid must often be made for identification,
classification, or checking of purity. Viscosity measurement is also a common
requirement. With the density and the viscosity determined at one or more temperatures,
other properties of the liquid can usually be found from published tables or charts.
Density is defined by as the mass per unit volume. Specific gravity of a liquid is
defined as the ratio of the weights of equal volumes of the liquid to that of distilled water
at a specified standard temperature usually 60°F. The density of a liquid is determined by
pycnometer or specific gravity bottle method, hydrostatic weighing, hydrometer, or
Westphal balance.
Pycnometers are glass vessels having definite volumes and various shapes. It may
be used for liquids, for semisolids of low melting point or powders or granular solids. The
method of use (ASTM Standards D-1217) is first to weigh the clean and dry empty bottle
with stopper on a sensitive analytical balance (weight W p). Then fill bottle with freshly
boiled distilled water at 60°F, and weigh (Wpw). Take care to expel all air bubbles, and fill
up to and including capillary tube in stopped. Follow above procedure again for the
sample (Wpo).
Wpo W p
Specific Gravity
Wpw W p
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In commercial practice the specific gravity of liquids is usually determined by
means of an instrument called a hydrometer. The proper weighted-bulb hydrometer with
graduated stem is allowed to sink into the sample to a level of two smallest scale divisions
below that at which it will float and is then released. The reading on the scale of this
instrument, which is the level of the surface of the liquid, is the specific gravity.
Hydrometers are made with two standard scales. One is the ordinary specific
gravity scale graduated to correspond to the determinations of specific gravity as defined
for determinations with the specific gravity bottle. The other is an arbitrary one known as
Baume’s and is much used by trade’s people. For short, it is often called the “gravity”
scale. The oil industry has adopted the Baume scale specified by the API, but some
hydrometers are graduated according to the Baume scale specified by the National
Bureau of Standards. Equations for converting the readings of either hydrometer to
specific gravity are
API scale:
Sp. gr. at 60 / 60∘ F 141.5
131.5∘API at 60∘ F
Bureau of Standards scale:
140
Sp. gr. at 60 / 60∘ F
130∘Be at 60∘ F
In general, viscosity ( ) is the property of a homogeneous fluid which causes it to
offer resistance to motion. In the case of a liquid, viscosity is a measure of relative fluidity
at some definite temperature. This property may be measures in several ways, for
example (1) by the torque required to rotate a cylinder or cup in the liquid, as in the Mac-
Michael and Stormer instruments used for oils and viscous liquids; (2) by the time required
for a sphere (usually a steel ball) to fall through the liquid, as in the Gardner Holdt
instrument used for paints and other highly viscous liquids; or (3) by the time required for
the liquid to flow through a capillary or a short tube as the Saybolt, Engler, and Redwood
viscometer used for petroleum oils.
In the falling sphere viscometer, the liquid is placed in a tall transparent cylinder
and a sphere of known weight and diameter is dropped in it. If the sphere is small enough,
Stokes’ Law will prevail and the fall velocity of the sphere will be approximately inversely
proportional to the absolute viscosity of the liquid. That is so may be seen by examining
the free-body diagram of such a falling sphere (Figure 1).
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FD 3VD
D 3
FB
6
D3
W s
Figure 1: FBD 6
The force acting includes the gravity, buoyancy, and drag. Stokes’ law states that if
DV / v 1 , the drag force on a sphere is given by FD 3VD , where V is the velocity of
the sphere and D is its diameter. When the sphere is dropped in a liquid, it will quickly
accelerate to terminal velocity, at which Fz 0 . Then
D3 D3
W FB FD s 3VD 0
6 6
Where s and represent the specific weight and the sphere and liquid, respectively.
Solving the above equation, we get
D 2
s
18V
In the preceding development it was assumed that the sphere was dropped into a liquid
of infinite extent. In actuality, the liquid will be contained in a tube and a wall effect will
influence the drag force and hence the fall velocity. It has been found that the wall effect
can be expressed approximately as
2
V 9D 9D
1 K
Vt 4 D t 4Dt
Where Dt is the tube diameter, and Vt represents the fall velocity in the tube. This
equation is reliable only if D / Dt 1 .
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LIST OF APPARATUS
Pycnometer Graduated Cylinder Hydrometer
Digital balance Steel balls Caliper
Stopwatch
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PROCEDURE:
1. Pycnometer Method
1. Clean the pycnometer bottle and weigh it on the analytical
balance and designate the weight as Wp.
2. Fill the bottle with freshly boiled distilled water at 60°F, and
weigh using Wpw as the designation.
3. Clean the pycnometer and follow the above procedure again for
the samples to be tested (Alcohol, Diesel, and Kerosene) call
the weight of the sample as Wpo.
4. Compute the specific gravity using the pycnometer method
equation for specific gravity.
2. Hydrometer Method
1. Clean the hydrometer and the graduated cylinder.
2. Pour the liquid (SAE 10 and SAE 50) to be tested inside the
graduated cylinder.
3. Drop slowly the hydrometer inside the graduated cylinder.
4. Read the value in the hydrometer.
The depth of immersion is then read as follows: If the sample is
sufficiently transparent, this point shall be determined by
placing the eye slightly below the level of the liquid and slowly
raising it until the surface of the sample first seen as a
distorted ellipse seems to become a straight line cutting the
hydrometer scale. For nontransparent liquids, it will be
necessary to read from above the surface and to estimate as
accurately as possible the point to which the liquid rises on the
hydrometer stem.
3. Falling Sphere Viscometer
1. Determine the temperature and specific gravity of the liquid
whose viscosity is desired.
2. Drop cautiously one of the spheres into the viscometer
noting whether the sphere is guided correctly or is off-
centered.
3. Determine the time required for the sphere to travel the certain
distance.
4. Repeat the procedure for each sphere given
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Set up of Apparatus
Pycnometer method Hydrometer method
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Final Data Sheet
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References:
Schetz, Joseph A.; Allen E. Fuhs (1999-02-05). Fundamentals of fluid mechanics.
Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. pp. 111,
"Viscosity". Encyclopedia Britannica. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
tec-science (2020-03-25). "Viscosity of liquids and gases". tec-science. Archived from
the original on 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
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