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Specific gravity of solids

Description

Silts, sands and gravels are classified by their size, and hence they may consist of a variety of minerals. Owing to the stability of quartz compared to other rock minerals, quartz is the most common constituent of sand and silt. Mica, and feldspar are other common minerals present in sands and silts. The mineral constituents of gravel may be more similar to that of the parent rock.

Soils consist of a mixture of particles of different size, shape and mineralogy.

There are a variety of parameters used to describe the relative proportions of air, water and solid in a soil. This section defines these parameters and some of their interrelationships.

Specific Gravity is the ratio of the density of one material compared to the density of pure water

Note that specific weight (see specific waight), conventionally denoted by the symbol γ may be obtained by multiplying the density ρ of a material by the acceleration due to gravity, g.
Specific Weight

Related formulas

Variables

GsSpecific gravity of solids (dimensionless) (dimensionless)
ρsdensity of the material (kg/m3)
ρwdensity of pure water