Define density and relative density. (2024)

Hint: In the measurement system, different materials have different densities. Density specifies how dense a material is. Some materials are denser while some are less dense. For the comparison between the densities of two different materials, relative density can be specified.

Complete step by step answer:
The density of a material is defined as the ratio of its mass per unit volume. It is also called the volumetric mass density, or the specific mass.
Mathematical expression for density:
$\text{Density = }\dfrac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}$
Or,
$\rho =\dfrac{M}{V}$
Where,
$\rho $ is the density
$M$ is the mass
$V$ is the volume
The density of a material can vary with the change in temperature and pressure. Increasing the amount of pressure on an object decreases the volume of the object resulting in increases in its density. Increase in the temperature of a substance results in the decrease in its density by increasing its volume.
Relative density, as the name suggests, is described as the ratio of the density of a material to the density of a given reference material. It is also called the specific gravity.
Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water at its densest and for gases; the reference is air at the room temperature. If the relative density of a material is less than one then it is less dense than the reference material; if greater than one then it is denser than the reference material. If the value of relative density is exactly one, then the density of both the materials is equal; that is, equal volumes of the two materials have the same mass.
In case the reference material is water, then a substance with a relative density less than one will float on the surface of water. A substance having relative density greater than one will sink.

Note:
Density of an object is a measure of its mass per unit volume. The average or absolute density of an object equals total mass of the object divided by its total volume. For a fixed amount of mass, density is inversely proportional to the volume; that is, a material or an object derived from a relatively dense material would have less volume as compared to an object of equal mass made from some less dense material. In order to simplify the comparisons of density across different systems of units, it is replaced by the dimensionless quantity relative density or specific gravity, which is essentially the ratio of the density of the material to the density of the standard material.

Define density and relative density. (2024)

FAQs

Define density and relative density.? ›

Density of a substance is defined as the mass per unit volume of the substance. Relative density : Relative density of a substance is the ratio of its density to that of water. Was this answer helpful?

How to define density? ›

The density of a substance is the relationship between the mass of the substance and how much space it takes up (volume). The mass of atoms, their size, and how they are arranged determine the density of a substance. Density equals the mass of the substance divided by its volume; D = m/v.

What is the difference between relative density and standard density? ›

Density is MassUnit Volume ; relative density is the density compared to a reference substance (usually water) under standard conditions.

What is the term for density? ›

Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is a substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter D can also be used.

What is relative and actual density? ›

Relative density is a comparison to a reference substance, while absolute density is a specific measurement of a substance's mass per unit volume. Expert-crafted notes designed to make learning the material engaging and clear. Comprehensive questions to boost your revision and exam preparedness.

What are two definitions of density? ›

a. : the mass of a substance per unit volume. density expressed in grams per cubic centimeter. b. : the average number of individuals or units in a unit of area or volume.

What is definition density examples? ›

Density means that if you take two cubes of the same size made out of different materials and weigh them, they usually won't weigh the same. It also means that a huge cube of Styrofoam can weigh the same as a tiny cube of lead. Examples of dense materials include iron, lead, or platinum.

How to find density from relative density? ›

Density is given by the product of relative density and the reference density, which is usually the density of water. Relative density is simply the ratio of the density to a given reference density. Given that equation, to determine density you simply rearrange it by multiplying both sides by the related density.

How will you relate relative density and density? ›

the relation between relative density and density is that relative density of a substance is its density itself without its unit. Density is mass per unit volume of a body. its unit is kg/m*3. relative density is the ratio of density of a body to the density of water.

Why is it called relative density? ›

Relative density on the other hand can be defined as the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of the standard substance. Relative Density is also called Specific Gravity.

How is density measured? ›

Density is a measure of the “compactness” of matter within a substance and is defined by the equation: Density = mass/volume eq 1. The standard metric units in use for mass and volume respectively are grams and milliters or cubic centimeters.

What is the relative density of water? ›

Relative density of water is 1.0.

Does density mean a lot? ›

Density refers to the ratio between the mass and volume of an object. Objects with high density have a lot of mass compared to a small amount of volume (like a lead brick). Objects with low density have a small mass compared to a lot of volume (like an inflated party balloon).

Is relative density equal to density? ›

Relative density is equal to the density of a substance/density of water. For liquids, the specific gravity is almost always determined with respect to the densest water (at 4 oC or 39.2 °F); for gases, air at room temperature (20 °C or 68 °F) is the reference.

How is density identified? ›

The density ρ of an object or a material is defined as the mass m divided by the volume V; in symbols, ρ = m/V.

What is the simple definition of mass? ›

The simple definition of mass is the quantity of matter within a given object. Mass is determined by the atomic and molecular makeups of objects. All objects are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and each of these has different makeups and masses.

What does it mean when something has high density? ›

A material with more matter, or stuff packed into a given space, has a higher density than a material with less matter packed into the same space.

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