Title Density, Specific Gravity,

and Specific Volume

Linda Nwachukwu, MPH
Howard University College of Pharmacy
Pharm.D. Candidate, Class of 2014
KE | Rho Chi | APhA | ASCP | NCPA
OBJECTIVE
› Understand the definition of density specific gravity, specific
volume
› Understand the appropriate calculation for each concept

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DENSITY
Definition
› Mass (g) per unit volume(ml) of a substance
Mass .

Volume

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SPECIFIC GRAVITY (sp. gr.)
Definition
› Ratio, expressed in decimal, of the weight of substance to that of equal
volume of water

Weight of substance
Weight of equal volume of water

› Because 1ml of water weighs 1g:

Specific gravity = Number of grams of the substance
Number of milliliters of the substance

› When compared to water, the standard for liquids and solid, the larger the sp
gr, the heavier the substance.

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SPECIFIC GRAVITY TRIANGLE
› For example: What is the specific gravity of an alcohol
that has a volume of 1000 milliliters and weighs 810
grams?

Sp gr = grams
milliliters
= 810
1000
= 0.810

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SPECIFIC GRAVITY TRIANGLE
› For example: What is the weight in grams of 240 milliliters
of light liquid petrolatum having a specific gravity of 0.81?
g = Sp gr x ml
= 0.81 x 240
= 194.4

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SPECIFIC GRAVITY TRIANGLE

ml = grams
Sp gr

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EXAMPLES OF
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

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Sp. gr. of Liquid Displacement or Plummet Method
› Archimedes’ principle: a body immersed in a liquid displaces an amount
of the liquid equal to its own volume and suffers an apparent loss in
weight equal to the weight of the displaced liquid
wt of displaced oil
STEPS: sp. gr. of oil = ------------------------------
wt of displaced water
1. Weigh a plummet in air.
2. Weigh the plummet suspended in water
3. Weigh the plummet again suspended in oil.
4. Weight of displaced oil = wt of the plummet in air – wt of the
plummet immersed in oil.
5. Weight of displaced water = wt of plummet in air – wt of the
plummet immersed in water.
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Example:
A glass plummet weighs 12.64 g in air, 8.57 g when immersed in
water, and 9.12 g when immersed in an oil. Calculate the specific
gravity of the oil.

12.64 g - 9.12 g = 3.52 g of displaced oil

12.64 g - 8.57 g = 4.07 g of displaced water
wt of displaced oil
sp. gr. of oil = ------------------------------
wt of displaced water
= 3.52g / 4.07g = 0.865
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SPECIFIC VOLUME
Definition
› Ratio, expressed decimally, of the volume of a substance to the
volume of an equal weight of another substance taken as a
standard.

› Simply stated: Tells us how much greater (or smaller) in volume a

mass is than the same weight of water.

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Specific Gravity vs. Volume
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
Weight of substance
Weight of equal volume of water

SPECIFIC VOLUME:
Volume of substance
Volume of equal weight of substance

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PRACTICE PROBLEMS
› Because his patient is allergic to mineral oil, a physician
has asked you to substitute an equal weight of olive oil
for the 10 ml of mineral oil he has in a lotion. How many
milliliters of olive oil would be needed? [NB: Sp gr of
mineral oil is 0.85.]
› If 120g of acetone measure 150ml, what is its specific
volume?

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 Sodium chloride 8.6g
Potassium chloride 0.3g
Calcium chloride 0.33g
PEG 3350 60g
Water for injection ad 1000ml
› Assuming the 980ml of water is used in preparing the
irrigation, calculate its specific gravity.

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› Calculate the number of mililiters of polysorbate 80
required to prepare 48 100-g tubes of the following
formula for a progesterone vaginal cream.
Progesterone, micronized 3g
Polysorbate 80 1g
Methylcellulose 2% gel 96g

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QUESTIONS??
REFERENCES
› Ansel, H. C. (2009) Phamaceutical Calculations (13th
Ed.). Philadelphia:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, and
Wolters Kluwer Publishers

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