What is the Difference Between Bulk Density and Specific Gravity?

The key difference between bulk density and specific gravity is that bulk density is a direct measurement, whereas specific gravity is a relative value. Here are the main distinctions between the two:

• Bulk Density: This is the weight of a unit volume of a material, including any voids or pores within the material. Bulk density is an absolute quantity, expressed in units such as g/cm³ or kg/m³. It is a direct measurement, meaning it is obtained directly by weighing and measuring the volume of a sample of the material.
• Specific Gravity: This is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, typically pure water at a specific temperature. Specific gravity is a relative value, meaning it compares the density of the material to the density of another substance. It is a dimensionless quantity and has no unit of measurement.

To summarize, bulk density is a direct measurement of weight per unit volume of a material, while specific gravity is a relative comparison of the density of a material to another material.

Comparative Table: Bulk Density vs Specific Gravity

The main difference between bulk density and specific gravity is that bulk density is a direct measurement, while specific gravity is a relative value. Here is a table summarizing the differences between the two:

In summary, bulk density is a direct measurement that describes the physical properties of a substance, while specific gravity is a relative value used to compare the density of different substances to a reference substance, usually water.