If a container can hold 100 pounds of water, what would be the specific gravity of a liquid that weighs 70 pounds?

To determine the specific gravity of a liquid, you can use the formula:

Specific Gravity = Weight of the liquid / Weight of an equal volume of water.

In this scenario, the container can hold 100 pounds of water, which indicates that 100 pounds is the weight of the water that occupies the same volume as the liquid in question.

Given that the liquid weighs 70 pounds, you can substitute the values into the formula:

Specific Gravity = 70 pounds / 100 pounds = 0.70.

This ratio indicates that the liquid is less dense than water, as its specific gravity is less than 1. Water has a specific gravity of 1, hence a specific gravity of 0.70 means the liquid is 70% as dense as water.

This understanding of specific gravity is essential in fields such as public health and environmental science, as it helps in assessing the buoyancy and behavior of liquids in various contexts, including waste management and chemical hazard assessments.