relative density

American  

noun

Physics.

1. specific gravity.

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relative density British  

noun

1.  d.  the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard substance under specified conditions. For liquids and solids the standard is usually water at 4°C or some other specified temperature. For gases the standard is often air or hydrogen at the same temperature and pressure as the substance See also specific gravity vapour density

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relative density Scientific  

1. The ratio of the density of one substance to that of a reference substance, typically water.

2. See more at specific gravity

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Etymology

Origin of relative density

First recorded in 1875–80;

Example Sentences

A mixture of 40% glycerin and 60% red food colouring was used, simulating the relative density and viscosity of human blood.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2024

"The relative density of the drama that Villeneuve has packed into this movie is deflated by a similar uptick in the grandiosity of the spectacle that surrounds it," Ehrlich wrote.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2024

The relative density of pressure receptors in different locations on the body can be demonstrated experimentally using a two-point discrimination test.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The relative density of Staten Island would also make hunting difficult, or at least uncomfortable.

From The Verge • Jan. 14, 2015

The effect that Hilderman imagined, and succeeded in producing, was a ray of light which should so alter the relative density of the air as to act as a telescope.

From The Mystery of the Green Ray by Le Queux, William