Jordan University of Science and Technology

Department of Civil Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering
Laboratory (CE 463)
Experiment 3:
Hydrometer test
Student Name: Ahmad bany issa

Student No :131828
Section No: 4

Introduction:
In this experiment we will use a hydrometer test device
which is known to be to determine the particle size
distribution of fine-grained soil with a particle size less
than 0.075 mm and whether it is greater than
10% of the soil passes through the No. 200 sieve. Soil
samples have particle sizes
Ranging from sand to silt or clay, sifting and
sedimentation analysis
also rely on the Stokes' law: To calculate the size of soil
particles from the speed at which they settle out of a
liquid suspension
Objective:

To find the particle size distribution for this portion of soil

Smaller diameter than 0.075 mm (silt and clay).

Apparatus and Materials:

1. Hydrometer (152 H model preferably).

2. Two sedimentation cylinders of glass or hydrometer jar which is marked for a volume of (1000 ml).

3. Dispersion agent with concentration of 4% of (sodium hexa – metaphosphate)

4. Malt mixer (dispersion apparatus).

5. Thermometer, ranging from 0 to 50°C, accurate to 0.5°C.

6. Stopwatch.

7. 50 g of oven-dry soil passing No. 200 sieve.

8. Balance accurate to 0.01g.

Abstract:
In the Sieve Analysis experiment, we classified the soil into two parts,
soft and coarse, but in this experiment we use a hydrometer to classify
the soft soil with a diameter of less than 0.075 mm that passes from
sieve # 200 to clay or silt.

What helps us in measuring the hydrometer reading is the addition of

the catalyst Hexametaphosphate, which works to disassemble the
particles and reduces the speed of their descent into the water.

And the steps for doing the experiment:

we take 50 grams From fine soil. We filled a cup of 125 mL of water
with a catalyst added to spread the soil particles Sodium
hexametaphosphate 4%, equivalent to 5 grams .Then we fill the
adjustment cylinder (cylinder control) with one of the cups and then
complete the cylinder with water Even I labeled it with a full 1000
ml .We put the hydrometer into the cylinder control and wait a while
for it to settle down and record its reading We call it zero correction
.And put the soil in the other cup, and transfer the shallow soil (clay) to
a mixer for 5 minutes so that We add water to the mixer whenever
needed, so we fill half of the mixer with water.
1. FT = - 4.85 + 0.25 T (T between 15 and 28 C)
2. Rcp = R + FT - Fz
3. a=(Gs * 1.65)/{(Gs -1 )*2.65 } 
4. Percent finer (%) = ((α Rcp ) / Ws) * 100
5. Rcl = R + Fm
6. ( A from table(5-2)**A =.0134)

7. D (mm) = A ((L (cm)/t (min))1/2

Result:
1-(50 g) soil 2-( 5 g) calgon

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time Hydrometer Rcp Percent Rcl L(cm) A D
reading finer%
1 47 40.9 80.0004 48 8.4 0.0134 0.03883
2 42 35.9 70.2240 43 9.2 0.0134 0.028375
4 41 34.9 68.2644 42 9.4 0.0134 0.02054
8 40 33.9 66.308 41 9.6 0.0134 0.01467
15 38 31.9 62.3964 39 9.9 0.0134 0.010886
30 37 30.9 60.4404 38 10.1 0.0134 .007775
60 36 29.9 58.484 37 10.2 0.0134 0.0055249
120 29 22.9 44.792 30 11.4 0.0134 0.0041301
1440 21 14.9 29.1444 22 12.7 0.0134 0.001258

Tempretur
e 19
Fz 6
Fm 1
Gs 2.75

calculation:
1. FT = - 4.85 + 0.25 T (T between 15 and 28 C)
FT = - 4.85 + (0.25 * 19) = -0.1

2. Rcp = R + FT - Fz
at (8 min) Rcp = 40 – 0.1 – 6 = 33.9

3. a=(Gs * 1.65)/{(Gs -1 )*2.65 } 

a=2.75*1.65 /1.75*2.65=.9784
4. Percent finer (%) = ((α Rcp ) / Ws) * 100
at ( 8 min ) (%) = (( 0.9784 * 33.9 ) / 50 ) * 100 =
66.308%
5. Rcl = R + Fm
at (8 min) Rcl = 40+ 1 = 41

6. ( A from table(5-2)**A =.0134)

7. D (mm) = A ((L (cm)/t (min))1/2

D = 0.0134 * ((9.6/ 8)) 1/2 = 0.01467mm

90 partical size distribuation

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 0.01 0.1
Discussions:
Stokes law does not applied for colloids that are particles smaller than

0.001 mm

1 - Through this experiment we concluded that time had an effect on

reading the hydrometer, so the more time, the lower the value of the
hydrometer readings, because the soil becomes more stable

2- As the temperature affects the density of the liquid, the lower the
temperature, the higher the density of the liquid, and thus the
interconnectedness between the particles decreases and the
sedimentation decreases, which helps us to read the hydrometer
better.

And vice versa, as the temperature increases, the density decreases,

the bonding between molecules increases, and the precipitation speed
increases

3-Errors germane to the technique:

(hydrometer bulb integration, changing medium density, hydrometer

displacement)

-4There are also mistakes that may occur because of us such as:
(stirring the mixture, do not take the reading correctly, after the first
four reading, the hydrometer is not entered into the comment a few
seconds before the reading is taken, and errors in the calculation)

-5It turns out that not adding the cofactor () does not enable us to
measure correctly, because the particles are deposited quickly and it
works to break down the particles
6-We relied n the classification of fine soils according to the dimeter,
and that is:

1- Silet The diameter of the particles varies between

(D)→(0.005-0.075)mm
2-clay The diameter of the particles varies between

(D)→(D>0.005mm)

It turns out that the hydrometer reading from minute 1 to minute 60

was classified as (silet)

The minute 120 & 1440 has been classified into (clay)

calculation:
1. It is important to carefully insert and remove the hydrometer
when taking each reading, the value of (R, Rcp, Percent
Accurate, Rcl, D) decreases over time but the L value increases
with time

2- We also found that the particle diameter decreases with

time
Particle particles with a diameter of not less than 0.001.
It passes through sieve # 200

3-The device is adopting STOKES’LOW for classification

Soil, either clay or silt, as follows:

- If the diameters range from 0.005mm - 0.075mm, then it is
silt
- It was less than 0.005, so it's muddy
This what happened means in the experiment that we got silt
Soil in the first 60 minutes, then on clay soil.

4-. It was also found through this experiment that there is a

proportional relationship between the hydrometer reading and
the size of soil particles

5-It turns out that the density of the liquid has a relationship in
the classification of soil particles because it is the
interconnection between the molecules and thus on the
sedimentation speed and the hydrometer reading