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U3 - 3 Specific Gravity

The document discusses the physical property of specific gravity in minerals. It defines specific gravity as the mass of a mineral compared to an equal volume of water. To determine specific gravity, one must weigh the mineral specimen in air and submerged in water, then use the formula: Specific Gravity = Weight in air / (Weight in air - Weight in water). Specific gravity is equal to density, as it compares the mineral's mass to an equal volume. The document provides examples of specific gravity calculations and reviews how to determine a mineral's density.

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1K views

U3 - 3 Specific Gravity

The document discusses the physical property of specific gravity in minerals. It defines specific gravity as the mass of a mineral compared to an equal volume of water. To determine specific gravity, one must weigh the mineral specimen in air and submerged in water, then use the formula: Specific Gravity = Weight in air / (Weight in air - Weight in water). Specific gravity is equal to density, as it compares the mineral's mass to an equal volume. The document provides examples of specific gravity calculations and reviews how to determine a mineral's density.

Uploaded by

api-238589602
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mineral

Mineral Properties
The following are a list of physical properties
that minerals could display:

1) Specific Gravity Today


2) Hardness
3) Cleavage Versus Fracture
4) Streak
5) Luster
6) Colour
7) Others

Taste, Feel, Magnetism, Acid Test,


Crystal Form, Smell, Double Refraction,
Tenacity, and Fluorescence.

Specific Gravity

Specific Gravity (SG): is the mass of a mineral


compared to that of an equal volume of water.

To determine specific gravity, you need to


carry out the following three steps:
1) Weigh the specimen in air
and record the weight.

Specific Gravity
2) Weigh the specimen
submerged in water and
record the weight.

Specific Gravity
3) Calculate specific gravity (SG) using the
following formula:
Specific Gravity =

weight in air

.
weight in

air - weight in water


Note that if a cubic centimeter of a mineral weighs three times as
much as a cubic centimeter of water, then its specific gravity is 3.

With a little practice, you can estimate the SG of minerals by


hefting them in your hand.

Specific Gravity = Density


Note: (In Reference to Core Lab #3)
Because pure water at 4C has a density of 1 g/cm3,
the specific gravity is equal to its density. Thus,
Specific gravity = Density. Specific gravity has no units
(it is simply a number), whereas density has units (i.e.
g/cm3).

To determine density you need to:


1) Use a scale to measure the mass of the mineral sample.
2) Find the volume of the mineral sample.
3) Calculate density (which equals specific gravity).
Density

Mass(mineral)
Volume(mineral)

= Specific Gravity

Specific Gravity
Given: 1mL = 1cm3 = 1g,

we know the weight of an equal volume of


water in grams. We can then use the following formula to calculate
specific gravity:

Calculation
S.G. =

W(mineral)
W(water)

Specific Gravity
Given: 1mL = 1cm3 = 1g,

we know the weight of an equal volume of


water in grams. We can then use the following formula to calculate
specific gravity:

Calculation
S.G. =

W(mineral)
W(water)

S.G. =
100

750

= 7.5

S.G. =
100

250

= 2.5

Sample Problem
Explain how the specific gravity of a mineral is determined.
Answer:

Specific gravity compares the weight of a mineral to the


weight of an equal volume of H2O.

(i)

Find the mass of the mineral; using a scale or balance.

(ii) Find the volume of the mineral; using the water displacement
method.
(iii) Find the weight of the mineral in water; by suspending the
mineral from the spring scale and weighing it immersed in
water.
(iv) Use the formula;
S.G. = density = m/v OR
S.G. = (weight of mineral in air)
(weight in air) - (weight in H2O)

Will be completing two


Assignments and a lab on this
topic

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