What is another term for specific gravity?

• A. Molar mass
• B. Boiling point
• C. Relative density
• D. Viscosity

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that specific gravity is a way of comparing how dense a substance is to a reference density without using units. For liquids, the reference is water at 4°C, so the ratio of the substance’s density to water’s density is the same value you get for specific gravity. Because you’re just comparing densities with a common reference, the result is dimensionless, and we often call this the relative density. That’s why relative density is the right term to use as a synonym for specific gravity.

Molar mass, boiling point, and viscosity describe other properties and aren’t used as synonyms for specific gravity.