COURSE UNIT

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
LABORATORY 1

COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK

1 1 1
Determination of Density, Specific Gravity and Viscosity of Liquid Fuels

CHECKLIST
 Read course and unit objectives
 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
 Proactively participate in classroom discussions
 Participate in weekly discussion board (MS Teams)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks

UNIT EXPECTED OUTCOMES (UEOs)

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

Cognitive:
1. Use measuring instruments in the performance of laboratory exercises.
2. Analyze the significance of the quantities determined using engineering measuring devices.
3. Analyze the properties of fuels and lubricants using different methods.
4. Design an experiment involving measurement of properties.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Affective:
1. Listen attentively during class discussions
2. Demonstrate tact and respect when challenging other people’s opinions and ideas
3. Accept comments and reactions of classmates on one’s opinions openly and graciously.

Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions and group activities.
2. Express opinion and thoughts in front of the class.

STUDY GUIDE
Determination of Density, Specific Gravity and Viscosity of Liquid Fuels

Ideal Fluids
 Assumed to have no viscosity (and hence, no resistance to shear)
 Incompressible
 Have uniform velocity when flowing
 No friction between moving layers of fluid
 No eddy currents or turbulence

Real Fluids
 Exhibit infinite viscosities
 Non-uniform velocity distribution when flowing
 Compressible
 Experience friction and turbulence flow

The density of a fluid is its mass per unit of volume.

Ρ = mass of fluid, M
Volume, V
Units:
English: slugs/ft3
Metric: gram/cm3
SI: kg/m3

For an ideal gas, its density can be found from the specific gas constant and ideal gas law:
Ρ= P
RT
Where: P = absolute pressure of gas in Pa
R = gas constant Joule/kg-K
For air:

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 R = 287 J/kg-K
R = 1,716 lb-ft/slug – R
T = absolute temperature in Kelvin
K = oC + 273
R = oF + 460
Approximate Room Temperature Densities of Common Fluids

Fluid Ρ in kg/m^3

Air (STP) 1.29

Air (21F, 1ATM) 1.20

Alcohol 790

Ammonia 602

Gasoline 720

Glycerin 1260

Mercury 13600

 Specific gravity, s, is a dimensionless ratio of a fluid’s density to some standard reference

density. For liquids and solids, the reference density is water at 4 oC (39.2 oF).
Ρ= Pliquid
Pwater
In gases, the standard reference to calculate the specific gravity is the density of air.
s = Pgas
Pair
For water at 4 oC:
Y = 62.4 lb/ft3 = 9.81 kN/m3
P = 1.94 slugs/ft3 = 1000 kg/m3
s= 1.0

Viscosity
The property of a fluid which determines the amount of its resistance to shearing forces. A perfect
fluid would have no viscosity.
µ= τ

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 dV/dy
Where:
Τ = shear stress in lb/ft2 or Pa
µ = absolute viscosity in lb sec/ft2 (poises) or Pa-sec
Y= distance between the plates in ft or m
U = velocity in ft/s or m/s

Kinematic Viscosity
Kinematic viscosity is the ratio of the dynamic viscosity of the fluid to its mass density.
V=µ
p
Where:
µ = absolute viscosity in Pa-sec
P = density in kg/m3
Note: 1 poise = 1 dyne.s/cm2 = 0.1 Pa-sec (1 dyne = 10-5 N)
1 stoke = 0.0001 m2/s

Common Units of Viscosity

System Absolute Kinematic

English Ib-sec/ft2 (slug/ft-sec) Ft2/sec

Metric Dyne.s/cm2 (poise) Cm2/s(stoke)

S.I. Pa-s (N-s/m2) m2/s

TERMINOLOGIES
 Fluid Mechanics is a physical science dealing with the action of fluids at rest or in motion,
and with applications and devices in engineering using fluids.
 Fluid statics which deals with fluids a rest.
 Fluid dynamics which deals with fluids in motion.
 Hydrodynamics is applied to the flow of liquids or to low-velocity gas flows where the gas
can be considered as being essentially incompressible.
 Hydraulics deals with the application of fluid mechanics to engineering devices involving
liquids, usually water or oil.

REFERENCES

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 1. Power Plant Testing By Moyer
2. Figliola, R.S. & Beasley, D.E., Theory & Design for Mechanical Measurements, 5th edition,
2011, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc.
3. Halman, J.P., Experimental Methods for Engineers, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
4. Doebelin, E.O., Measurement System: Application & Design, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
5. Beckwith, T.G., Marangoni, R.D. & Lienhard, J.H., Mechanical Measurements, Addison
Wesley, Inc.
6. Robert B. Northrop, Introduction to Instrumentation and Measurements, Second Edition,
Jun 28, 2005.
7. Alan S. Morris, Reza Langari, Measurement and Instrumentation Theory and Application
8. Alan S. Morris, Measurement and Instrumentation Principles, 3rd edition.

UNIT TASK
a) Density and specific weight estimation for the regular shaped solid objects.

Procedure: 1.) Measure the mass and volume (by measurement) of each regular-shaped object.
Record these values in Table 1 of the Data & Results section of this lab to the nearest tenth. 2.)
Calculate the density and specific weight of each object using the following mathematical formula:
equation 1 and equation 3. Note: Record your values for density in Table 1 of this lab to the
nearest tenth.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

b) Density and specific weight estimation for the irregular shaped solid objects.

Procedure: 1) Measure masses in the air (mS) (by using balance without special stage !!!) of
each irregular-shaped object. In order to perform measurements first we have to hang irregular
solid on the hook which is on he left arm in the case of the classic balance or just on the hook
which is part of the weighting apparatus in the case of the electronic balance. Record these
values in Table 2 of the Data & Results section of this lab to the nearest tenth. 2) Measure
masses in the water (mW) of each irregular-shaped object When all solids are weighted in air
then we have to place baker filled up with liquid on the special stage and we will read out
weights of all solids once again; masses in water first (mW) then in unknown liquid (mL) Record
these values in Table 2 of the Data & Results section of this lab to the nearest tenth. 3)
Calculate the density (S) and specific weight (S) of each solid using equation (12) and the

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

density (L) and specific weight (L) of the unknown liquid by using equation (14). Note: Record
your values in Table 2 of this lab to the nearest tenth.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE