How to Calculate Density of Sugar Water
Calculate the density of any object or substance by dividing its mass by its volume. You first have to measure these values, and there are certain tricks you might need to employ, depending on the nature of the substance you are measuring. To calculate the density of sugar water, measuring its volume is easy. Simply put the fluid in a graduated cylinder or beaker and record the volume. To measure the mass of the fluid, first measure the mass of an empty container. Next, measure the mass of the container with the sugar water in it and subtract the original mass from that value. Once you have the volume and mass of your sugar water, you can calculate its density.
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Instructions
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Pour a sample of sugar water into your graduated cylinder. Make a note of the volume of the sugar water by reading the marking on the side of the cylinder where the water level is. For instance, suppose you have 50 mL (milliliters) of sugar water.
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Measure the mass of your empty graduated cylinder with your balance. For instance, suppose your graduated cylinder has a mass of 100 g (grams).
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Measure the mass of your graduated cylinder with the sugar water in it. Use the balance again. Suppose your cylinder with the sugar water has a mass of 153 g.
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Subtract the mass of the empty cylinder from the mass of the cylinder with the sugar water to calculate the mass of the sugar water. The calculation for the example looks like this:
Mass of sugar water = 153 g - 100 g = 53 g
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Divide the mass of the sugar water by its volume to determine its density. The calculation for the example looks like this:
Density of sugar water = 53 g / 50 mL = 1.06 g/mL
The density of the sugar water in this case is 1.06 grams per milliliter.
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Tips & Warnings
The density of the sugar water would change if more sugar were added to the solution.
References
- Photo Credit graduations de pipette image by pgm from Fotolia.com
