Density and Specific Gravity

Chapter 5
PHA 313
CA_Lecture_9_Density_SpecificGravity_S

Edward M. DeSimone, R.Ph., Ph.D., FAPhA

9/13/2022
 Density
• Mass per unit volume of a substance
• Density of Water = 1 g per cc (mL)
• A substance with a density greater than water
will have a density > 1 g per mL
• A substance with a density less than water will
have a density < 1 g per mL

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 Specific Gravity
• Ratio of the weight of a substance to the
weight of an equal volume of water.
• Water is the standard for liquids and solids.
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• S.G. =
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
• Sulfuric Acid >>> 10 mL = 18 g
18 g 18 g
– S.G. = = = 1.8
10 mL 10 g

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 Specific Gravity
• Which one floats?
– Liquid petrolatum density 0.87 g/mL
– Water density 1.0 g/mL
– Chloroform density 1.47 g/mL

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 Density vs. Specific Gravity
• Density – concrete #
• Specific Gravity – abstract #
• Density is expressed in many units
• Specific Gravity is always the same because of
ratio relationship and it has no units
• Density has no pharmacy practice use except
to help understand specific gravity.

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 Calculations
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• S.G. =
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

• Need 2 of the 3 values to do any calculations.

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 Calculating the S.G. of Liquids
Known Weight and Volume
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• S.G. =
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
– If 450 mL of an oil weighs 405 g, what is the S.G.?
405 g 405 g
• S.G. = = = 0.9
450 mL 450 g
– If 1 qt of a PEG weighs 1.07 kg, what is the S.G.?
• 1 qt = 473 mL x 2 = 946 mL
• 1.07 kg = 1070 g
1070 g 1070 g
• S.G. = = = 1.13
946 mL 946 g

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 Calculating the S.G. of Liquids
Pycnometer or Specific Gravity Bottle

• A pycnometer is a
glass bottle,
usually 1 to 50 mL,
used to determine
specific gravity.

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 Calculating the S.G. of Liquids
Pycnometer or Specific Gravity Bottle
• Information needed:
– Weight of bottle empty
– Weight of bottle filled with water
– Weight when filled with another liquid

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 Calculating the S.G. of Liquids
Pycnometer or Specific Gravity Bottle
• Problem: 50 mL pycnometer
• Information needed:
– Weight of bottle empty (120 g)
– Weight of bottle filled with water (171 g)
– Weight when filled with another liquid (160 g)
• To calculate S.G., we need:
– Weight of substance (160 g – 120 g = 40 g)
– Weight of water (171 g – 120 g = 51 g = 51 mL)
40 g 40 g
• S.G. = = =
51 mL 51 g
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Use of S.G. in Calculations of Weight & Volume
Calculating Weight
• Text: What is the weight of 2 fl oz of a liquid
having a S.G. = 1.118?
• 2 oz x 29.57 mL = 59.14 mL (volume)
• What is the weight of 59.14 mL of water?
–59.14 g
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• S.G. =
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
Xg
• 1.118 = =
59.14 g

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Use of S.G. in Calculations of Weight & Volume
Calculating Volume
• Text: What is the volume in pints of 50 lb of
glycerin having a S.G. = 1.25?
50 𝑙𝑏 454 g
• x = 22,700 g (weight)
lb
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• S.G. =
𝑤𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
22,700 g
• 1.25 = = 18,160 g = 18,160 mL (water)
Xg
18,160 mL 18,160 mL 𝑝𝑡
• 473 𝑚𝐿 = 𝑥 =
473 𝑚𝐿
𝑝𝑡

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 Calculating Cost
• If the product is priced by weight, then
convert the volume to weight.
• If the product is priced by volume, then
convert the weight to volume.

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 Calculating Cost
• Previous problem: What is the volume in pints
of 50 lb of glycerin having a S.G. = 1.25? If
glycerin costs $7.07 per pint, how much does
this cost?
• We calculated the volume to be 38.4 pints.
38.4 𝑝𝑡 $7.07
• x = $ 271.49
pt

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 Problem #9 – Text
• A modified Ringer’s Solution has the following
formula:
• Sodium chloride 8.6 g
Potassium chloride 0.3 g
Calcium chloride 0.33 g
PEG 3350 60 g
Water for injection ad 1000 mL
• Assuming that 980 mL of water is used in
preparing the irrigation, calculate its specific
gravity.
• What is the specific gravity of this solution?
• Place your answer on the next slide.
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 Problem #9 - Answer
• What is the specific gravity of the modified
Ringer’s Solution?
• _________

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 Problem #22 - Text
• Calculate the corresponding weights of (a)
liquefied phenol and (b) propylene glycol needed
to prepare 24 15-mL bottles of the following
formula:
• Liquefied phenol 0.4 mL (S.G. = 1.07)
Camphor 0.5 g
Benzocaine 2.2 g
Ethanol 65 mL
Propylene glycol 17 mL (S.G. = 1.03)
Purified water ad 100 mL
• Place the number of grams of Liquified phenol
and Propylene glycol on the next 2 slides.
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 Problem #22 - Answer
• How many grams of liquefied phenol are
needed?
• (a) _________

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 Problem #22 - Answer
• How many grams of propylene glycol are
needed?
• (b) _________

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 Special Considerations of S.G.
• Please read
–“Pharmaceutical Applications”
–“Clinical Application”

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• This is the end of the material for
Exam #1.

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 Exam #1 Information
• Learning objectives for every class are posted on that
class session page.
• The answer key for every ALA is posted on the ALA
Assignment page.
• The answer key for every problem worked out in
recitation is posted in the “Problems Solved…” tab.
• Every class recording is posted on the BlueCast page.
• Every recitation recording is posted on the BlueCast
page.

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 Exam #1 Information
• Sample Exam #1 – Posted on Monday morning (answers)
• Sample Exam #1 – “Worked out” Posted Tuesday morning
• The examination time window for all Phoenix, distance,
and visiting pharmacy students is from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. Central Time on the date of the exam. All
examinations must be completed by the end of this
examination time window unless a delay of exam is
approved by me (STARS).
• The communication “blackout” period is from 8:00 a.m.
Central Time on days examinations are administered
until ended by me (e-mail).
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 Exam #1 Information
• Answering the questions:
– Follow all of the directions on the exam itself.
• Fill-in
• No units, no terms
• No naked decimals (e.g., .5)
• No zeros after decimal (e.g., 5.0)
• Round (follow directions)
• Truncate
– 0.57926: (1) 0.5 (2) 0.57 (3) 0.579

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 Exam #1 Information
• Answering the questions:
– Word answers (“one word only”)
• Lower case & plurals – no effect
– TABLET, tablet, Tablets, TABLETS
• Route or site of administration
– Intracardiac = heart
– Heart = intracardiac
• Abbreviations
– “twice a day” should be recorded as bid, not b.i.d.
– “For the exams, if we cannot use punctuation marks how can we
distinguish between abbreviations such as mix and thousand
(M. and M)?”
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 Exam #1 Information
• Answering the questions:
– Misspelled words = ZERO
– Several other questions will be addressed during Friday’s
recitation.
• After the exam:
– No scores will be provided
– After all students have taken the exam, grades will be
posted.
– Each student will receive a copy of his/her own exam.
– The “worked out/solved” version of the exam will be
posted in the “Exam One Materials” module.
• If I make a mistake…..
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