Multiple Choice
What will an object do if its density is less than the density of water?
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1. Intro to General Chemistry
Density
Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes specific gravity and its relationship to density?
A
Specific gravity is the absolute density of a substance measured in g/cm^3.
B
Specific gravity is the difference between the density of a substance and the density of water.
C
Specific gravity is the sum of the densities of a substance and water.
D
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water at a specified temperature.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that specific gravity is a dimensionless quantity that compares the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, usually water at 4°C.
Recall that density is defined as mass per unit volume, typically expressed as \(\rho = \frac{m}{V}\) with units like g/cm\(^3\).
Recognize that specific gravity is calculated by taking the ratio of the density of the substance (\(\rho_{\text{substance}}\)) to the density of water (\(\rho_{\text{water}}\)), which can be written as \(\text{Specific Gravity} = \frac{\rho_{\text{substance}}}{\rho_{\text{water}}}\).
Note that because specific gravity is a ratio of two densities with the same units, it has no units itself (dimensionless).
Conclude that specific gravity does not represent an absolute density value, nor is it a difference or sum of densities, but rather a ratio comparing the density of a substance to that of water.
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