A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines / containing a clear exposition of their principles and practice - Andrew Ure

Alcoholmetrical Table of Tralles.

Alcohol in 100 measures of spirit.	Specific gravity at 60° Fahr.	Difference of the sp. gr.
0	9991
1	9976	15
2	9961	15
3	9947	14
4	9933	14
5	9919	14
6	9906	13
7	9893	13
8	9881	12
9	9869	12
10	9857	12
11	9845	12
12	9834	11
13	9823	11
14	9812	11
15	9802	10
16	9791	11
17	9781	10
18	9771	10
19	9761	10
20	9751	10
21	9741	10
22	9731	10
23	9720	11
24	9710	10
25	9700	10
26	9689	11
27	9679	10
28	9668	11
29	9657	11
30	9646	11
31	9634	12
32	9622	12
33	9609	13
34	9596	13
35	9583	13
36	9570	13
37	9556	14
38	9541	15
39	9526	15
40	9510	16
41	9494	16
42	9478	16
43	9461	17
44	9444	17
45	9427	17
46	9409	18
47	9391	18
48	9373	18
49	9354	19
50	9335	19
51	9315	20
52	9295	20
53	9275	20
54	9254	21
55	9234	20
56	9213	21
57	9192	21
58	9170	22
59	9148	22
60	9126	22
61	9104	22
62	9082	22
63	9059	23
64	9036	23
65	9013	23
66	8989	24
67	8965	24
68	8941	24
69	8917	24
70	8892	25
71	8867	25
72	8842	25
73	8817	25
74	8791	26
75	8765	26
76	8739	26
77	8712	27
78	8685	27
79	8658	27
80	8631	27
81	8603	28
82	8575	28
83	8547	28
84	8518	29
85	8488	30
86	8458	30
87	8428	30
88	8397	31
89	8365	32
90	8332	33
91	8299	33
92	8265	34
93	8230	35
94	8194	36
95	8157	37
96	8118	39
97	8077	41
98	8034	43
99	7988	46
100	7939	49

Remarks on the preceding Table of Alcohol.

The third column of this table exhibits the differences of the specific gravities, which give the denominator of the fraction for such densities as are not found sufficiently near in the table; and the difference of their numerators is the next greatest to the density found in the table. For example: if the specific gravity of the liquor found for 60° Fahr. = 9605 (the per centage will be between 33 and 34), the difference from 9609 (which is the next greatest number in the table) = 4, and the fraction is ⁴⁄₁₃; therefore the true per centage is 33⁴⁄₁₃. From the construction of this table the per centage of alcohol by weight may also be found. For instance: we multiply the number representing the volumes of alcohol (given in the table for any determinate specific gravity of the mixture) by the specific gravity of the pure alcohol, that is, by 7939, and the product is the number of pounds of alcohol in so many pounds as the specific gravity multiplied by 100 gives. Thus, in the mixture of 9510 specific gravity, there are 40 measures of alcohol; hence there are also in 95,100 pounds of this spirit 7939 + 40 = 31·756 pounds of alcohol; and in 100 pounds of the spirits of 0·9510 specific gravity, 33·39 pounds of alcohol are contained.

As the preceding table gives the true alcoholic content when the portion of spirit under trial has the normal temperature of 60° Fahr., the following table gives the per centage of alcohol for the specific gravities corresponding to the accompanying temperatures.

For example: if we have a spirituous liquor at 80° Fahr., whose specific gravity is 0·9342, the alcohol present is 45 per cent. of the volume, or that specific gravity at that temperature is equal to the specific gravity 0·9427 at the normal temperature of 60° Fahr. This table may also be employed for every degree of the thermometer and every per centage, so as to save computation for the intervals. It is evident from inspection that a difference of 5° Fahr. in the temperature changes the specific gravity of the liquor by a difference nearly equal to 1 volume per cent. of alcohol; thus at 35° and 85° Fahr. the very same specific gravity of the liquor shows nearly 10 volumes per cent. of alcohol more or less; the same, for example, at 60 and 40 per cent.

Alco- hol per cent.	Temperature.						Alco- hol per cent.	Temperature.
Alco- hol per cent.	30° F.	35° F.	40° F.	45° F.	50° F.	55° F.	Alco- hol per cent.	60° F.	65° F.	70° F.	75° F.	80° F.	85° F.
0	9994	9997	9997	9998	9997	9994	0	9991	9987	9991	9976	9970	9962
5	9924	9926	9926	9926	9925	9922	5	9919	9915	9909	9903	9897	9889
10	9868	9869	9868	9867	9865	9861	10	9857	9852	9845	9839	9831	9823
15	9823	9822	9820	9817	9813	9807	15	9802	9796	9788	9779	9771	9761
20	9786	9782	9777	9772	9766	9759	20	9751	9743	9733	9722	9711	9700
25	9753	9746	9738	9729	9720	9709	25	9700	9690	9678	9665	9652	9638
30	9717	9707	9695	9684	9672	9659	30	9646	9632	9618	9603	9588	9572
35	9671	9658	9644	9629	9614	9599	35	9583	9566	9549	9532	9514	9495
40	9615	9598	9581	9563	9546	9528	40	9510	9491	9472	9452	9433	9412
45	9544	9525	9506	9486	9467	9447	45	9427	9406	9385	9364	9342	9320
50	9460	9440	9420	9399	9378	9356	50	9335	9313	9290	9267	9244	9221
55	9368	9347	9325	9302	9279	9256	55	9234	9211	9187	9163	9139	9114
60	9267	9245	9222	9198	9174	9150	60	9126	9102	9076	9051	9026	9000
65	9162	9138	9113	9088	9063	9038	65	9013	8988	8962	8936	8909	8882
70	9046	9021	8996	8970	8944	8917	70	8892	8866	8839	8812	8784	8756
75	8925	8899	8873	8847	8820	8792	75	8765	8738	8710	8681	8652	8622
80	8798	8771	8744	8716	8688	8659	80	8631	8602	8573	8544	8514	8483
85	8663	8635	8606	8577	8547	8517	85	8488	8458	8427	8396	8365	8333
90	8517	8486	8455	8425	8395	8363	90	8322	8300	8268	8236	8204	8171

Alco- hol per cent.	Temperature.
Alco- hol per cent.	30° F.	35° F.	40° F.	45° F.	50° F.	55° F.	60° F.	65° F.	70° F.	75° F.	80° F.	85° F.
0	9994	9997	9997	9998	9997	9994	9991	9987	9991	9976	9970	9962
5	9924	9926	9926	9926	9925	9922	9919	9915	9909	9903	9897	9889
10	9868	9869	9868	9867	9865	9861	9857	9852	9845	9839	9831	9823
15	9823	9822	9820	9817	9813	9807	9802	9796	9788	9779	9771	9761
20	9786	9782	9777	9772	9766	9759	9751	9743	9733	9722	9711	9700
25	9753	9746	9738	9729	9720	9709	9700	9690	9678	9665	9652	9638
30	9717	9707	9695	9684	9672	9659	9646	9632	9618	9603	9588	9572
35	9671	9658	9644	9629	9614	9599	9583	9566	9549	9532	9514	9495
40	9615	9598	9581	9563	9546	9528	9510	9491	9472	9452	9433	9412
45	9544	9525	9506	9486	9467	9447	9427	9406	9385	9364	9342	9320
50	9460	9440	9420	9399	9378	9356	9335	9313	9290	9267	9244	9221
55	9368	9347	9325	9302	9279	9256	9234	9211	9187	9163	9139	9114
60	9267	9245	9222	9198	9174	9150	9126	9102	9076	9051	9026	9000
65	9162	9138	9113	9088	9063	9038	9013	8988	8962	8936	8909	8882
70	9046	9021	8996	8970	8944	8917	8892	8866	8839	8812	8784	8756
75	8925	8899	8873	8847	8820	8792	8765	8738	8710	8681	8652	8622
80	8798	8771	8744	8716	8688	8659	8631	8602	8573	8544	8514	8483
85	8663	8635	8606	8577	8547	8517	8488	8458	8427	8396	8365	8333
90	8517	8486	8455	8425	8395	8363	8322	8300	8268	8236	8204	8171

The importance of extreme accuracy in determining the density of alcoholic mixtures in the United Kingdom, on account of the great revenue derived from them to the State, and their consequent high price in commerce, induced the Lords of the Treasury a few years ago to request the Royal Society to examine the construction and mode of applying the instrument now in use for ascertaining and charging the duty on spirits. This instrument, which is known and described in the law as Sikes’s hydrometer, possesses, in many respects, decided advantages over those formerly in use. The committee of the Royal Society state, that a definite mixture of alcohol and water is as invariable in its value as absolute alcohol can be; and can be more readily, and with equal accuracy, identified by that only quality or condition to which recourse can be had in practice, namely, specific gravity. The committee further proposed, that the standard spirit be that which, consisting of alcohol and water alone, shall have a specific gravity of 0·92 at the temperature of 62° Fahr., water being unity at the same temperature; or, in other words, that it shall at 62° weigh ⁹²⁄₁₀₀ or ²³⁄₂₅ of an equal bulk of water at the same temperature.