Re: Re: Sediment Bowl

Posted by Paul Fox on September 07, 1998 at 09:21:55:

In Reply to: Re: Sediment Bowl posted by John Healey on September 06, 1998 at 18:51:39:

: : I am in the 8th grade and I am doing a project on density. I need to know how a Sediment Bowl works. Can anyone help? Thanks!

: Adam, Density is actually defined as " weight per unit volume " . In scientific or engineering units density is measured in " pounds per cubic foot". Specific gravity has no units and is actually used as a way of comparing other material densities to that of water. Materials that are more dense than water will sink in water, materials that are less dense than water will float in water. Water has an approximate density of 62.4 pounds per cubic foot. If you take a piece of steel and throw it in some water it will sink(DAAAAAAAH!!right) because the density of steel is approximately 490 pounds per cubic foot.I don't know the exact density of gasoline but would estimate it to be somewhere around 56 pounds per cubic foot. Being lighter ( or less dense) than water it will float on water , or another way of looking at is that water will sink in gas. That is why water collects in the bottom of the sediment bowl ( also why sediment that is heaver of more dense than gas collects there too ).
: If a material has a specific gravity less than 1.0 its density is less than water, and if a materials specific gravity is greater than 1.0 its density is greater than that of water. Given my estimated density for gasoline , the specific gravity of gasoline would be its density, 56 pounds per cubic foot,divided by the density of water, 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, or 0.88. The specific gravity of steel would likewise be, 490/62.4 or 7.85 . Good luck with your project and remember, farmers make the best engineers.

John, I stand (actually, sit) corrected on the SG. Shoulda checked my freshman physics book before I started running off at the mouth. Hope I didn't confuse Adam too much. Paul.

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