1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Physics

Specific Gravity

By Andrew Zimmerman Jones, About.com

Definition: The specific gravity of a material is the ratio of its density to the density of water (1.00 x 103 kg/m3).

This ratio is a pure number, containing no units.

Related Topics:
Density of Common Substances

Also Known As: relative density

Explore Physics

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Physics
  4. Physics Dictionary
  5. Physics: Q to T
  6. Specific Gravity - definition of specific gravity

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.