degree Brix

thumb|Measuring brix and percent acidity of a sudachi Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is a measure of the dissolved solids in a liquid, based on its specific gravity, and is commonly used to measure dissolved sugar content of a solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose solute dissolved in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by mass. If the solution contains dissolved solids other than pure sucrose, then the °Bx only approximates the dissolved solid content. For example, when one adds equal amounts of salt and sugar to equal amounts of water, the degrees Brix of the salt solution Rises faster than the sugar solution, because it is denser. The unit °Bx is traditionally used in the wine, sugar, carbonated beverage, fruit juice, fresh produce, maple syrup, and honey industries. The °Bx is also used for measuring the concentration of a cutting fluid mixed in water for metalworking processes. Dissolved solids can also be measured in °Bx with a refractometer, but it must be calibrated for the particular dissolved substance, because refractivity does not correspond exactly to specific gravity.

Comparable scales for indicating sucrose content are: the Plato scale (°P), which is widely used by the brewing industry; the Oechsle scale used in German and Swiss wine making industries, amongst others; and the Balling scale, which is the oldest of the three systems and therefore mostly found in older textbooks, but is still in use in some parts of the world.