If specific gravities were defined by reference to oil (density = 0.89 g/mL) rather than water (density = 1.0 g/mL) which of the following would be true?
A) The specific densities of all materials would be larger than those given in tables in handbooks.
B) The specific densities of all materials would be smaller than those given in tables in handbooks.
C) The specific densities of some objects would be larger and of other objects would be smaller than those given in tables in handbooks.
D) The question is meaningless since water is the only permissible reference material.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. If oil (with a lower density than water) is used as the reference, the specific gravity values would be larger because the denominator in the ratio is smaller.

If Specific Gravities Were Defined by Reference to Oil (Density