Pycnometry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A technique utilized to ascertain material density by evaluating the volume of liquid displaced by a specified mass of the substance
2. An analytical procedure aimed at calculating the density of a substance through the measurement of liquid displacement caused by a known weight
3. A method for determining the density of a sample by measuring the volume of fluid displaced when the sample is submerged in the liquid

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "puknos" meant "thick," "dense," or "compact," and it is the root of the English prefix "pycno-." Pycnometry joins this to "-metry," from Greek "metron," "measure," so the name literally means measuring density. The method is named for the instrument used to carry it out, the pycnometer, a glass flask with a precisely known volume. The flask is weighed empty, filled with a liquid, and weighed again, and the displaced volume is then used to calculate the sample's density. Because the name is built from its purpose, the term describes the technique rather than the object alone.