What is the specific gravity of water?

The specific gravity of water is defined as 1. This is a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics and chemistry. Specific gravity is a dimensionless quantity that indicates the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, which in most cases is water at 4 degrees Celsius, where water is most dense.

Since the density of pure water is taken as 1 g/cm³, the specific gravity of water itself is therefore 1. This standardization allows for easy comparison of the densities of different substances with respect to water. For example, if a substance has a specific gravity greater than 1, it is denser than water; if it is less than 1, it is less dense than water.

The other values provided do not represent the specific gravity of water or common fluids under standard conditions. The concept of specific gravity is critical in various applications, including buoyancy calculations, understanding fluid behavior, and in various scientific fields such as chemistry and physics.