Associate Safety Professional Practice Exam

What is the specific gravity of water?

1. 0.5

2. 1

3. 1.5

4. 2

The correct answer is: 1

The specific gravity of water is defined as 1. Specific gravity is a dimensionless quantity that compares the density of a substance to the density of water at a specified temperature (generally at 4°C, where water is densest). Because water's density is typically expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), the specific gravity of pure water is 1 g/cm³. This means that water has a density that serves as a reference point for measuring the density of other substances. Therefore, when evaluating other substances, if their specific gravity is less than 1, they are less dense than water and will float. If their specific gravity is greater than 1, they are denser than water and will sink. This reference point is essential in various fields, such as physics, engineering, and environmental science, as it helps in understanding buoyancy and density-related phenomena.