Editing Solvent (section)

===Density===
Most organic solvents have a lower [[density]] than water, which means they are lighter than and will form a layer on top of water. Important exceptions are most of the [[halogen]]ated solvents like [[dichloromethane]] or [[chloroform]] will sink to the bottom of a container, leaving water as the top layer. This is crucial to remember when [[partition coefficient|partitioning]] compounds between solvents and water in a [[separatory funnel]] during chemical syntheses.

Often, [[specific gravity]] is cited in place of density. Specific gravity is defined as the density of the solvent divided by the density of water at the same temperature. As such, specific gravity is a unitless value. It readily communicates whether a water-insoluble solvent will float (SG < 1.0) or sink (SG > 1.0) when mixed with water.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
! Solvent
! [[Specific gravity]]<ref>[http://www.xydatasource.com/xy-showdatasetpage.php?datasetcode=831841&dsid=97&searchtext=solvent Selected solvent properties – Specific Gravity] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614130527/http://www.xydatasource.com/xy-showdatasetpage.php?datasetcode=831841&dsid=97&searchtext=solvent |date=14 June 2011 }}. Xydatasource.com. Retrieved on 26 January 2013.</ref>
|-
| Pentane
| 0.626
|-
| Petroleum ether
| 0.656
|-
| Hexane
| 0.659
|-
| Heptane
| 0.684
|-
| Diethyl amine
| 0.707
|-
| Diethyl ether
| 0.713
|-
| Triethyl amine
| 0.728
|-
| ''tert''-Butyl methyl ether
| 0.741
|-
| Cyclohexane
| 0.779
|-
| ''tert''-Butyl alcohol
| 0.781
|-
| Isopropanol
| 0.785
|-
| Acetonitrile
| 0.786
|-
| Ethanol
| 0.789
|-
| Acetone
| 0.790
|-
| Methanol
| 0.791
|-
| Methyl isobutyl ketone
| 0.798
|-
| Isobutyl alcohol
| 0.802
|-
| 1-Propanol
| 0.803
|-
| Methyl ethyl ketone
| 0.805
|-
| 2-Butanol
| 0.808
|-
| Isoamyl alcohol
| 0.809
|-
| 1-Butanol
| 0.810
|-
| Diethyl ketone
| 0.814
|-
| 1-Octanol
| 0.826
|-
| ''p''-Xylene
| 0.861
|-
| ''m''-Xylene
| 0.864
|-
| Toluene
| 0.867
|-
| Dimethoxyethane
| 0.868
|-
| Benzene
| 0.879
|-
| Butyl acetate
| 0.882
|-
| 1-Chlorobutane
| 0.886
|-
| Tetrahydrofuran
| 0.889
|-
| Ethyl acetate
| 0.895
|-
| ''o''-Xylene
| 0.897
|-
| Hexamethylphosphorus triamide
| 0.898
|-
| 2-Ethoxyethyl ether
| 0.909
|-
| ''N'',''N''-Dimethylacetamide
| 0.937
|-
| [[Diglyme|Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether]]
| 0.943
|-
| ''N'',''N''-Dimethylformamide
| 0.944
|-
| 2-Methoxyethanol
| 0.965
|-
| Pyridine
| 0.982
|-
| Propanoic acid
| 0.993
|-
| Water
| 1.000
|-
| 2-Methoxyethyl acetate
| 1.009
|-
| Benzonitrile
| 1.01
|-
| 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone
| 1.028
|-.
| Hexamethylphosphoramide
| 1.03
|-
| 1,4-Dioxane
| 1.033
|-
| Acetic acid
| 1.049
|-
| Acetic anhydride
| 1.08
|-
| Dimethyl sulfoxide
| 1.092
|-
| Chlorobenzene
| 1.1066
|-
| Deuterium oxide
| 1.107
|-
| Ethylene glycol
| 1.115
|-
| Diethylene glycol
| 1.118
|-
| Propylene carbonate
| 1.21
|-
| Formic acid
| 1.22
|-
| 1,2-Dichloroethane
| 1.245
|-
| Glycerin
| 1.261
|-
| Carbon disulfide
| 1.263
|-
| 1,2-Dichlorobenzene
| 1.306
|-
| Methylene chloride
| 1.325
|-
| Nitromethane
| 1.382
|-
| 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol
| 1.393
|-
| Chloroform
| 1.498
|-
| 1,1,2-Trichlorotrifluoroethane
| 1.575
|-
| Carbon tetrachloride
| 1.594
|-
| Tetrachloroethylene
| 1.623
|}