Karim I. answered • 08/27/24
PhD & PE Helping You Pass the FE Civil Exam with Confidence
The specific gravity (Gs) is the ratio of the solid particles unit weight to the unit weight of water.
The water content (w) is the ratio of the mass of water to the mass of solids in a soil sample. It directly affects the void ratio (e) and degree of saturation (S). The Void ratio (e) is the ratio of the volume of voids (air + water) to the volume of soil solids in a soil sample. The Degree of saturation (S) is the ratio of the volume of water to the volume of voids. These metrics are all related to one another using the formula below, which can be used to determine the specific gravity of the soil:
Gs = Se/w = 0.7x 0.8 / 0.2 = 2.8
