Specific gravity (SG) is really important when choosing fluids for different industries. It helps us compare how dense a fluid is compared to water.

Specific gravity is calculated by comparing the density of a fluid to the density of water at the same temperature. Usually, this temperature is 4°C, where water has a density of about 1000 kg/m³.

Why Specific Gravity Matters:

1. How Fluids Act:

   • Fluids with a higher specific gravity, like mercury (SG ≈ 13.6), behave differently than lighter fluids, like gasoline (SG ≈ 0.7). This difference changes how easily they flow and their viscosity.

2. Separation of Components:

   • In processes like distillation and centrifugation, knowing the specific gravity helps separate different parts of a mixture. For effective separation, there usually needs to be at least a 0.1 g/cm³ difference in density.

3. Choosing Pumps and Pipes:

   • Specific gravity affects how we choose pumps and size pipes. Pumps need to be suitable for the maximum specific gravity of the fluid to work well. For example, a pump designed for fluids with an SG over 1.1 will usually need more power than one meant for fluids with an SG of 0.8.

Learning about specific gravity is key to making processes better, keeping things safe, and improving efficiency when handling fluids in industry.