FINDING A CONCENTRATION - SPECIFIC GRAVITY CURVE

Introduction
A solution is a homogeneous (see-through) system that can be split into two or
more different substances. Solutions are prepared by mixing and stirring a substance
into another one (most frequently a liquid) until just one phase can be seen. They can
show different concentrations, that is different proportions. The concentration of a
solution can be given in different ways for example as percentage mass to mass (%
m / m). If an aqueous salt solution is said to be 15 % m / m then 100 gram of this
solution will be formed by 15 gram of salt and 85 gram of water. If it said to be 15 % m
/ v (the so called percentage mass to volume) then 15 gram of salt will be in 100 cm3
of solution (it doesn’t mean that necessarily there are 85 cm3 of water).

Density is defined as the mass of the unitary volume of a material. The unit of
density more frequently found in a lab is g / cm3. The density of a solution changes with
changing composition. It cannot be calculated adding the volumes of the substances that
have been mixed because, although the masses are added, their volumes are not.
This is because as the solution is being formed, the particles of the solute mingle with
the particles of the liquid moving around through the “holes” between its particles. In
addition, they become solvated: the solvent’s molecules cluster and stick around the
particles of the solute maybe “shrinking”. That is the reason why the density of
solutions must be measured experimentally.
A word about the units: be careful! Although both units are apparently the same
(g/cm3) they have absolutely different meanings: density is the total mass of one cm3
of solution a very different thing to the mass to volume concentration, the mass of
solute contained in that cm3.

Many times the food industry has to deal with sucrose (sugar) solutions, at some stage
of a preparation. To tell whether these solutions contain the proper amount of sugar, a
sample is taken to the lab where it can be analysed in different ways. Some chemical
analyses can be rather time consuming but the determination of the density of the
sample shows accurate enough and constitutes a very simple and quick method to
assess the concentration of sugar in the syrupy solution. A density meter is dipped
into the temperature controlled sample and the reading is changed to concentration of
sucrose in the solution using a calibration curve.

Aims
 To prepare solutions of known composition
 To measure their densities (relative to water) at 20 ± 2 ºC
 To draw a calibration curve for the assessment of sucrose in aqueous solutions
by means of density determinations

Materials
250 ml beaker, stirring rod, 250 ml volumetric flask, funnel, wash bottle, spatula, watch
glass, scale. Distilled water, sucrose.

Procedure

Note: the masses of sucrose to be weighed will be different for each of the groups
and the data will be shared.
 1- Tare a 250 ml (250 cm3) volumetric flask (with its stopper). Record your
measurement in the table.
2- Weigh in a watch glass X g of sucrose. (Teacher will tell the group how much)
Record your measurement.
3- Collect the sucrose into the beaker and add 60-80 ml of distilled water.
4- Stir to dissolve.
5- Transfer into the volumetric flask 8 use a funnel to avoid losses)
6- Wash the beaker repeatedly squirting small amounts of distilled water with the
wash bottle transferring the washings into the flask. Use the glass rod to aim the
liquid as you pour it.
7- Be sure the total volume is less than 250 ml!!!
8- Stopper the flask and homogeneise turning it up and down several times.
9- Carefully fill to the mark using the wash bottle or a pipette.
10- Homogeneise once again.
11- Weight the flask with its contents. Record your measurement.
12- Calculate the concentration in % m/m and the density as g / cm3 and record your
results.
13- Ask the other groups for the results that they have found during their
experiments. Record all the information in a chart writing them in order of
increasing concentration.
14- Plot density against concentration in graph paper

Exp. Mass Volume Conc. Mass Mass Mass Density

Nr sugar flask solution flask flask + solution solution
(g) (cm3) (% m/v) (empty solution (g) (g/cm3)
) (g) (g)

Collected data of all groups

Conc
%m/v
Dens.
g/cm3

Stick plot here