What does specific gravity measure?

Specific gravity measures the density of a substance compared to water. It is a dimensionless quantity that indicates how dense a material is relative to the density of water at a given temperature (usually 4°C, where water is at its maximum density). This measurement is crucial in various fields, including geology, mining, and material science, as it provides insight into a substance's characteristics and behavior in different environments.

Understanding specific gravity helps in identifying minerals, predicting how substances will behave in liquid, and determining the potential for flotation or sinking of materials in fluids. While density itself is usually expressed in units of mass per volume (such as grams per cubic centimeter), specific gravity simplifies the comparison by relating it directly to water, streamlining various processes and calculations in practical applications.