| Specific Gravity - The Basics |
When we talk about Specific Gravity, we are just talking about how much something weighs in relation to the weight of water. Water has a Specific Gravity of 1.0. Anything that weighs more than water will have a Specific Gravity of more than 1.0.
|
Since it is pretty easy to measure the weight of most substances, it is easy to figure out the specific gravity of an item. Water weighs about 8.345 pounds per gallon. The "about" comes into play because most liquids weigh a bit less per gallon as they heat up and a bit more per gallon as they chill down.
|
Just take the weight per gallon of whatever substance you want to figure the specific gravity of, and divide it by the weight of water per gallon.
|
Finished Maple Syup weighs about 11.33 pounds per gallon and has a specific gravity of 1.37. That is 11.43 pounds / 8.345 pounds = 1.37 SG.
|
When we say that a tank is rated at 1.5 specific gravity, it just means that it is designed to store substances up to 12.5 pounds per gallon in weight (or 1.5 specific gravity). Similarly, a tank that is rated at 1.9 specific gravity will store substances up to 15.8 pounds per gallon.
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
