UCSB Science Line
Sponge Spicules Nerve Cells Galaxy Abalone Shell Nickel Succinate X-ray Lens Lupine
UCSB Science Line
Home
How it Works
Ask a Question
Search Topics
Webcasts
Our Scientists
Science Links
Contact Information
Hi! How are you guys? I need some help: Could you give me (or do you know where I could get) a list of about 5 or 6 (it doesnt hurt if there are more, though) immiscible liquids with densities that vary quite substantially from each other? (They would all need to be liquids at room temperature) I have had some trouble finding liquids on the internet that would REALLY NOT want to mix with each other for a density experiment. I need some liquids that would not mix, or mix VERY little even when they are shaken. Thanks so much for your help!
Question Date: 2009-09-17
Answer 1:

I can easily think of three: mercury, water, and oil or gasoline. I'm not sure there are more that are readily available, though - anything polar will mix with water, anything nonpolar will mix with the oil, and there aren't very many polar liquids less dense than oil, or non-polars more dense than water.

As far as shaking is concerned, what you need is a range of densities. Mercury is *extremely* dense, denser than lead, so it will stay at the bottom. The others will form emulsions when shaken, though.


Answer 2:

I'm guessing that there aren't 5 or 6 un-miscible liquids that are safe to handle.In biology and chemistry, we tend to think about water-soluble [hydrophilic] chemicals and oil-soluble [hydrophobic or lipophilic] chemicals. That's only 2 types of liquids - oil and water. Mercury, of course, is a highly toxic liquid; it might not mix with oil or water. Alcohols mix with oil and water. Liquids such as dimethyl sulfoxide and glycerol mix with water.

Best wishes,


Click Here to return to the search form.

University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory National Science Foundation
This program is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and UCSB School-University Partnerships
Copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California,
All Rights Reserved.
UCSB Terms of Use