To determine if a liquid will float, which result indicates a lower than water specific gravity?

To determine if a liquid will float, which result indicates a lower than water specific gravity?

• A. If product sinks in water, it will float
• B. If product floats, SG > 1.5
• C. If less than 1.0 specific gravity, it will float
• D. If greater than 2.0, it will vaporize

Answer: (C)

Specific gravity compares a liquid’s density to water. Water has a density of 1.0 in this scale, so a liquid will float only if its density is lighter than water, meaning its SG is less than 1.0. When the SG is below 1.0, the liquid is less dense than water and will ride on top rather than sink. If the SG is above 1.0, the liquid is denser than water and tends to sink. The idea of vaporization isn’t related to density or floatation, so it doesn’t inform whether a liquid will float.

Specific gravity compares a liquid’s density to water. Water has a density of 1.0 in this scale, so a liquid will float only if its density is lighter than water, meaning its SG is less than 1.0. When the SG is below 1.0, the liquid is less dense than water and will ride on top rather than sink. If the SG is above 1.0, the liquid is denser than water and tends to sink. The idea of vaporization isn’t related to density or floatation, so it doesn’t inform whether a liquid will float.