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Hydrometer

A hydrometer is a glass instrument used to measure the density or specific gravity of liquids. It operates based on Archimedes' Principle of buoyancy. Hydrometers have a slender stem calibrated with a scale and a bulb containing a ballast at the bottom end. To use a hydrometer, gently lower it into the liquid until it floats freely and read the density measurement where the liquid's meniscus meets the scale. Hydrometers provide an easy way to determine important properties of unknown liquids.

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70 views4 pages

Hydrometer

A hydrometer is a glass instrument used to measure the density or specific gravity of liquids. It operates based on Archimedes' Principle of buoyancy. Hydrometers have a slender stem calibrated with a scale and a bulb containing a ballast at the bottom end. To use a hydrometer, gently lower it into the liquid until it floats freely and read the density measurement where the liquid's meniscus meets the scale. Hydrometers provide an easy way to determine important properties of unknown liquids.

Uploaded by

Rhea Faye
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THEHYDROMETER

ANINTRODUCTORYDOCUMENTFORFIRSTYEARSTUDENTS
ScottHale
Ahydrometermeasuresthedensityofliquids.Itismadeofclearglassandismostoften
approximately8incheslong(standardsize).Hydrometersareprimarilyusedto
determinethedensityofanunknownliquid.Theyalsocalculatethedensity
(Density=massoftheliquid/volumeoftheliquid,orD=m/v)orspecificgravity(specific
gravity=theratioofthemassofaliquidtothemassofanequalvolumevolumeof
distilledwaterat4degreesCelsius)ofaknownliquid.Thehydrometeroperateson
ArchimedesPrinciple.Archimedes,anancientGreekmathematician,discoveredthat
whenabodylighterthanafluidisplacedinthatfluid,thefluiddisplacedbythebody
willequalthevolumeofthebodyaswellasthemassorweightofthebody.This
principleisbetterknownasbuoyancy.Hydrometersconsistoftwoparts:astemanda
bulbshowninfigure1.

Stem

Bulb

Figure1

TheHydrometer

Theslendertubeabovethelargertubeisthestem(seefigure2).Itishollowglasswitha
roundedend.Thestraight,cylindricalstemiscalibratedbywhichthedensityorspecific
gravityofthetestliquidismeasured.Thestemendsastheglasscylinderenlargesinto
thebulb.

Scale

Figure2

TheStem

Thebulbconsistsof2parts:theballastandtheglassbead.Asthehollowbulbenlarges
fromthestem,itsdiameterincreases,stabilizes,androundsatitsendintheshapeofa
hemisphere.Thisroundedendcontainstheballast(smallsteelspheres)inside,attheend
ofthebulb.Thesmallspheresareheldinplacebyepoxy.Theballastweightsthe
hydrometerintheliquid.Attachedtotheoutsideofthehydrometer,attheendofthe
bulb,isasmall,glassbead.Thisglassbeadservestobufferthehydrometer,preventing
thebulbfromcomingintodirectcontactwiththebottomoftheliquid'scontainer(see
figure3).

Ballast

GlassBead
Figure3

TheBulb

Beforeyouusethehydrometer,makesureitiscleanbyrinsingitindistilledwater.Any
residuemayrenderafalsemeasurement.Tousethehydrometer,holditbythestemso
thattheballasthangsbelow.Graduallyimmersethebulbintothecenterofthetestliquid
untilthesurfaceleveldirectlycontactsthestem.Neverdropthehydrometerintothetest
liquid;itcandamagethehydrometerrenderingafalsemeasurement.Gentlyreleasethe
stem.Oncethehydrometerisbalanced(nolongerbobbingupanddown),youmayread
thedensity.Youshouldnoticethatthesurfaceleveloftheliquidis,infact,curvedup
alongtheedgesoftheliquid'scontainer.Thiseffectiscalledameniscus.Locatewhere
themeniscusisatitslowermostpointalongthescaleofthestem.Recordthe
correspondingnumberfromthescale.Thismeasurementisthedensity(g/mL)ofthe
liquid(seefigure4).

HydrometerScale
Meniscus

Liquid

Figure4

MeasuringtheDensityofaLiquid

Toensureanaccuratemeasurement,keepthehydrometerfreefloatinginthecenterof
theliquid'scontainer.Thiswillpositionthehydrometerclosesttothecenterofthe
liquid'smeniscus.Ifthehydrometercontactseitherthesideorbottomoftheliquid's
container,itwillrenderafalsemeasurement.Afteryouhavetakenthemeasurement,
carefullyremovethehydrometerfromtheliquidbythestem.Besuretorisethe
hydrometerwithdistilledwateraftereachmeasurementtakenandbeforestorage.

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