Specific volume is the amount of volume occupied by a certain mass of gas, which varies with pressure and temperature. It is reciprocal to density and expressed as v = Volume/Mass. Units include cubic meters per kilogram and cubic inches or foot-pounds.
Specific volume is a term, usually applied to gases, which indicates the amount of volume occupied by a certain mass of the gas. Specific volume is an intensive property, meaning it is not determined by the total amount of gas. It may vary based on other factors such as pressure and temperature. It is also reciprocal to density, meaning that it is inversely proportional to the mass-per-volume formula used to determine density. All other factors remain constant, as specific volume increases, density decreases and vice versa.
The most common way to express a specific volume is the mathematical expression v = Volume/Mass. Of course, to use this simple equation, you need to know the volume and mass of the gas in question. It may be possible, however, to derive this value from other data and from known values for other properties of certain gases. If the density of a given volume of gas is known, the specific volume can be found by applying the formula v = 1/r, where r is the density.
Pressure and temperature have an effect on the volume of a given mass of gas. For this reason, specific volume is a physical property that can change for any gas depending on other factors. Assuming other conditions remain constant, increases in temperature cause the gases to expand, reducing specific volume while increases in pressure compress the gases, resulting in an increase in specific volume. The rates at which a particular gas expands or contracts based on changes in temperature and pressure are different for each gas.
Units to describe specific volume are most commonly the International Standard (SI) system of units or the US customary system, which is analogous to the older British imperial system. The SI units for specific volume are cubic meters per kilogram while it is expressed as cubic inches or foot-pounds in other systems. It is of course possible to use other scales of units within both systems, such as cubic meters per ton or cubic yards per US ton. Smaller units can also be used.
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