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pycnometer

instrument
Also known as: density meter

Quick Summary

A pycnometer is a specialized vessel used for accurately measuring and comparing the densities of liquids or solids. Density itself is defined as the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume.12

This instrument is particularly useful in chemical analysis for identifying pure substances or mixtures, especially when the components have significantly different densities. For instance, pycnometers can aid in the quantitative analysis of aqueous sugar solutions. Liquid densities are commonly measured using either electronic density meters or pycnometers. The term "pycnometer" originates from Greek words meaning "dense" and "measure".21

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