Baumé scale

Baumé scale is a pair of hydrometer scales developed by French pharmacist Antoine Baumé in the late 18th century. Used for measuring the density of liquids, it has two scales: one for liquids heavier than water and one for liquids lighter than water.

History

The Baumé scale was created by Antoine Baumé in 1768. Baumé was a French pharmacist who wanted to simplify the measurements of various solutions' densities. His scale became widely used in various industries, including the wine and sugar industries.

Scale

The Baumé scale consists of two separate scales. One scale measures the density of liquids heavier than water, and the other measures the density of liquids lighter than water.

Liquids Heavier than Water

For liquids heavier than water, the Baumé degree (°Bé) is calculated using the formula:

°Bé = 145 - (145 / specific gravity)

This scale is primarily used in industries such as the battery industry, where it is used to measure the density of sulfuric acid.

Liquids Lighter than Water

For liquids lighter than water, the Baumé degree is calculated using the formula:

°Bé = 140 / specific gravity - 130

This scale is commonly used in the brewing industry to measure the density of beer wort.

Usage

Despite its age, the Baumé scale is still in use today in various industries. For example, it is used in the wine industry to measure the sugar content of grape must, and in the battery industry to measure the density of sulfuric acid. However, it is gradually being replaced by more modern and accurate scales, such as the specific gravity scale and the Brix scale.

See Also

• Hydrometer
• Specific gravity
• Brix
• Antoine Baumé