Baumé hydrometer and scale
Areómetro y escala de Baumé
- Date
- 1768 · confidence high
- Place
- Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Credited to
- Antoine Baumé
- Field
- Knowledge & symbols
What it is
A hydrometer graduated in Baumé degrees that gives the density of liquids such as brine, acids or syrups by the depth to which it floats. It became universal in chemistry, pharmacy and winemaking.
Baumé presented the scale in 1768 in his 'Élémens de pharmacie'; there are two scales (liquids denser and lighter than water) and they vary from country to country.
What it led to
- concentration control in the chemical and sugar industries
- strength grading of spirits and wines
- Brix, Twaddell and other hydrometers