What is the density of ethyl acetate at room temperature, and how does it convert between mass and volume?

At room temperature ethyl acetate has a density near 0.90 g/mL, so mass and volume relate by \(m=\rho V\) and \(V=m/\rho\).

Density of Ethyl Acetate

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Density of ethyl acetate

Density ethyl acetate values quantify how much mass is contained in a given volume of the liquid. In laboratory settings, density supports routine conversions between measured volume (mL) and required mass (g), and it provides a quick check for purity and temperature effects.

Definition and units

Density is defined as mass per unit volume:

\[ \rho = \frac{m}{V} \]

Common units for liquids include g/mL and g/cm³ (numerically identical), and the SI unit kg/m³.

Unit connection. Since \(1~\text{mL} = 1~\text{cm}^3 = 10^{-6}~\text{m}^3\) and \(1~\text{g} = 10^{-3}~\text{kg}\), \[ 1~\text{g/mL} = 1000~\text{kg/m}^3. \]

Reference value and temperature dependence

For pure ethyl acetate (C₄H₈O₂), a widely used classroom/lab reference at room temperature is \(\rho \approx 0.90~\text{g/mL}\). A representative value at \(20~^\circ\text{C}\) is often taken as \(\rho \approx 0.902~\text{g/mL}\), corresponding to about \(902~\text{kg/m}^3\).

Density decreases as temperature increases because liquids expand. Small temperature shifts typically produce modest changes, but precision work benefits from using the density reported at the measurement temperature.

Quantity	Representative value	Meaning for calculations
Density at ~room temperature	\(\rho \approx 0.90~\text{g/mL}\)	Each 1 mL of liquid corresponds to about 0.90 g of mass.
Density at \(20~^\circ\text{C}\)	\(\rho \approx 0.902~\text{g/mL}\)	Useful when glassware and lab references are standardized near 20 °C.
SI form (same value)	\(\rho \approx 900~\text{kg/m}^3\)	Convenient for fluid-mechanics style calculations.

Mass–volume conversions

Rearranging \(\rho = \frac{m}{V}\) yields the two practical conversion forms:

\[ m = \rho V \qquad \text{and} \qquad V = \frac{m}{\rho}. \]

Mass from a measured volume: \(m = (0.902~\text{g/mL})(V~\text{in mL})\).
Volume from a measured mass: \(V = \frac{m~\text{in g}}{0.902~\text{g/mL}}\).
Consistency check: a larger volume at the same temperature implies a proportionally larger mass.

Typical numerical examples

Example A: mass of a given volume

A sample has volume \(V = 125~\text{mL}\) at \(20~^\circ\text{C}\). Using \(\rho = 0.902~\text{g/mL}\),

\[ m = \rho V = (0.902~\text{g/mL})(125~\text{mL}) = 112.75~\text{g} \approx 113~\text{g}. \]

Example B: volume of a given mass

A measured mass is \(m = 50.0~\text{g}\) at \(20~^\circ\text{C}\). With \(\rho = 0.902~\text{g/mL}\),

\[ V = \frac{m}{\rho} = \frac{50.0~\text{g}}{0.902~\text{g/mL}} = 55.43~\text{mL} \approx 55.4~\text{mL}. \]

Visualization of the mass–volume relationship

The graph shows \(m\) versus \(V\) for ethyl acetate using \(\rho \approx 0.90~\text{g/mL}\). The straight line through the origin expresses \(m=\rho V\), and the slope equals the density.

A linear mass–volume trend is expected for a single liquid at fixed temperature; the slope of the line equals the density of ethyl acetate in g/mL.

Common pitfalls and checks

Temperature mismatch: density values at \(20~^\circ\text{C}\) and \(25~^\circ\text{C}\) differ; higher temperature implies lower density.
Unit inconsistency: mixing mL with L or g with kg without conversion shifts results by factors of \(10^3\).
Significant figures: the reported density and the measured volume/mass jointly control the final rounding.
Purity effects: dissolved impurities and residual water can shift the observed density away from a reference value.

Quick check for reasonableness. With \(\rho \approx 0.90~\text{g/mL}\), 10 mL corresponds to about 9 g and 100 mL corresponds to about 90 g; values far from these proportions signal a unit or temperature mismatch.

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