American University of Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Chemical Engineering Laboratory I [CHEN 321]

Laboratory Report
Fall Semester-2019

Experiment No: 01

Experiment Name: Fluid Properties Apparatus

Group members: Wafaa Bahutair, Abdulla Alzeyoudi, Soumia Haddouga

Name: Mohammed Chowdhury

Name of Instructor: Eng. Nazik Abdulla

Exercise A - Glycol (liquid) density using a hydrometer and pycnometer
Introduction:

In this experiment we have to determine the density of various liquids by

measuring the relative density using a universal
hydrometer and pycnometer.

Theory:
The density of any fluid is the mass per unit
volume.

𝜌 = Density
M= Mass of the fluid (kg)
L= Volume of the fluid (m3 )

Method:

 Use digital thermometer to measure

temperature.
 Use hydrometer to get Specific gravity of
a liquid.
 Calculate the density of liquid from the
density of water at that temperature.

Hydrometer:

A hydrometer is an instrument used to measure the specific gravity or relative

density of liquids, i.e. the ratio of the density of the liquid to the density of water.

S= Specific gravity or relative density

Equipment Required:

 Universal Hydrometer
 2 Hydrometer Jars
 Thermometer
 Suitable liquids for testing (oil and water)

Archimedes' principle:

When a body is immersed completely or partially in a fluid, it experiences an

upward force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.

Procedure:

1. We have to fill one hydrometer jar with water and other jar with glycerol or
olive.
2. The level of the fluid must be enough so that the hydrometer could float.
3. Then insert the hydrometer in water and it should measure 1 in Specific
gravity scale.
4. Then measure the specific gravity of other fluids from the scale.

The density of water is considered as 1000kg/m3 but actual density varies with
temperature.
Data Collected:

Liquid Temperature Density

Hydrometer Kg/m3
(gm/ml)
Water 27.4 1 996.378

Hydrometer Calculations:
T = 25 °C  ρ = 997.05 kg/m 3

T = 27.4 °C  ρ = ? kg/m 3

T = 30 °C  ρ = 995.65 kg/m 3

By interpolation:

27.4−25 ρ w −997.05
=
30−25 995.65−997.05

kg
ρw =996.38
m3
Density of glycol:

ρ g=ρw SG

¿ 1.25 ×996.38

kg
¿ 1245.473
m3

Pycnometer:

It is a standard vessel used for measuring and

comparing the densities of solids and liquid.

Method:
By measuring the change in weight of a density
bottle filled with the liquid to be tested then
calculating the density from the known volume and
increase in weight.
Equipment Required:
 50 ml Gay-Lussac Pycnometer
 Weigh balance
Procedure:

 Weigh empty 50 ml pycnometer.

 Fill the pycnometer with glycerol and close it using a stopper.
 Wipe the pycnometer well to remove any spillage.
 Weigh it again with glycerol.
Pycnometer Calculations:

M glycol+P −M P
ρ glycol =
VP

94.1766−31.5770
ρ glycol =
50

g
ρ glycol =1.252 =1252 kg /m3
mL

Exercise B – Relative density / specific gravity using a pycnometer

Objective:

The objective of this experiment is to measure the density and relative density of
three different spheres using pycnometer.

Method:

By inserting the sphere of known weight, into the pycnometer and measuring the
change in weight of the pycnometer without water then by filling with water. The
difference in weight of pycnometer is used to determine the volume of the sphere
which helps to calculate its density.

Equipment used:

 50 ml Gay-Lussac Pycnometer
 Lever operated balance
 Spheres
 Water

Procedure:
  The density of the steel balls used in the measurement of viscosity.
 Pycnometer should be dry before weighing it, complete with its stopper, and
record the mass.
 Fill the pycnometer with clean water or alternative liquid as required, allow
any air bubbles to rise to the surface then insert the stopper fully.
 Wipe the outside of the pycnometer to remove any spilt liquid then reweigh
it and record the mass.
 Weigh the solid or granular material to be measured and record the mass.
 Remove the stopper the carefully insert the solid or granular material into
the pycnometer, displacing liquid from the pycnometer.
 Replace the stopper, dry the outside of the pycnometer then reweigh the
pycnometer and record the mass.

Data and Calculations:

V P=50 mL

M P =31.5770 g

M P +S =31.9076 g

M P +W =82.0142 g

M P +W +S=82.3035 g

M S =31.9076−31.5770=0.3306 g

M W =82.0142−31.5770=50.4372 g

M W 50.4372 g
ρW = = =1.0087
VP 50 mL

M Wdisp=M P+W + M S−M P +W +S =82.0142+ 0.3306−82.3035=0.0413 g

 M Wdisp 0.0413
V Wdisp = = =0.0409 mL
ρW 1.0087

V S =V Wdisp =0.0409 c m 3

M S 0.3306 3
ρ S= = =8.0745 g/c m
V S 0.0409

Exercise C - Liquid viscosity using a falling sphere viscometer

Objective:

In this experiment we measured the viscosity of

various liquids at atmospheric temperature and
pressure using a Falling Sphere Viscometer.

Method:

By timing the fall of different sized spheres through

a given depth of the liquid to be tested then
calculating the viscosity from the mean velocity.

 the gravitational force on the ball

 the buoyant force or Up-thrust
 the viscous force resisting motion

𝜌=𝑚𝑉
𝑚=𝜌𝑉
𝑚𝑔=𝜌𝑠𝑔4/3𝜋𝑟3
𝜌𝑠=𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒
FB = 𝜌𝐿𝑔4/3𝜋𝑟3
𝜌𝑙=𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑
FV = 6𝜇𝜋𝑟𝑢 from stokes law
𝜇=𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡
u=mean velocity of the ball = 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒/𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

Procedures:

 Drop balls of different diameters, one at a time through the funnel at the
top of the viscometer.
 Time the fall between the marks on the wall of the viscometer.
 Repeat each measurement three times to obtain an average timing for each
diameter of ball.
 Repeat the measurements for each size of ball falling through the liquid in
the second viscometer.
 Note: -liquids of low viscosity the larger spheres cannot be used because
the fall time will be too short to obtain accurate results.
 A smaller size ball could be used to increase the fall time but observation of
the sphere through the liquid would then be difficult.

Data and Calculations:

Time to cross 175 cm= 1.75m of glycol in the viscometer in seconds:

No. of sphere Small Medium Large

1 11.56 4.46 2.47

 2 10.55 4.44 2.90

3 10.86 4.52 3.24

Velocities and mean velocity of the different spheres in (m/s):

Velocity (m/s) Small Medium Large

u1 0.1513 0.3924 0.7085

u2 0.1659 0.3941 0.6034

u3 0.1611 0.3872 0.5401

Mean Velocity 0.1594 0.3912 0.6173

Viscosity calculations based on the medium sphere:

r = 1.190625 mm

ρms = 8.0745 g/cm3 = 8074.5 kg/m3

ρglycol = 1252 kg/m3

2 g
μ= r 2 ( ρs −ρL )
9 u
 2 2 9.81
μ= ( 1.190625∗10−3 ) (8074.5−1252)
9 0.3912

kg
μ=0.0539
m.s

μ 0.0539
γ= = =4.305∗10−5 m 2 /s
ρ glycol 1252

Viscosity calculations based on the large sphere:

r = 1.5875 mm

ρLs = 7.23 g/cm3 = 7230 kg/m3

ρglycol = 1252 kg/m3

2 g
μ= r 2 ( ρs −ρL )
9 u

2 2 9.81
μ= ( 1.5875∗10−3 ) (7230−1252)
9 0.6173

kg
μ=0.0532
m. s

μ 0.0532
γ= = =4.250∗10−5 m2 /s
ρ glycol 1252

Viscosity calculations based on the small sphere:

r = 0.79375 mm

ρms = 6.7111 g/cm3 = 6711.1 kg/m3

ρglycol = 1252 kg/m3

 2 g
μ= r 2 ( ρs −ρL )
9 u

2 2 9.81
μ= ( 1.190625∗10−3 ) (6711.1−1252)
9 0.3912

kg
μ=0.0431
m. s

μ 0.0431
γ= = =3.444∗10−5 m 2 /s
ρ glycol 1252

Conclusion:

The easiest way to determine the density of a liquid is by measuring its specific
gravity and then multiplying it to a standard density of a substance. In this
experiment we have used three different apparatus to measure specific gravity,
density and viscosity of the fluids. The pycnometer may have the most accurate
measurement out of the three apparatus. This is because a digital balance is used in
measuring the mass of the solution and the volume is always made constant.

Reference:

 Aurak lab manual.

 Google dictionary.