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Electrical conductivity is nothing more than a measurement of a substance’s ability to allow the flow of electric current through the material. Electrical conductivity varies from one substance to another depending on the ability of the material to allow electricity to flow freely through it. The current is carried by the protons, electrons, and neutrons present in the substance. Unlike protons, which have a positive charge, electrons, which carry a negative charge, move from one place to another at the speed of light. Electric current is the term used to describe the passage of electrons within a substance.
What is Electrical Conductivity?
The electrical conductivity of a material is represented by the Greek letter.
The electrical conductivity is the inverse of the resistivity and may be calculated using the formula
σ = 1/ρ
Where,
σ = electrical conductivity
ρ = resistivity
When it comes to water, the ability to conduct electricity is directly proportional to the concentration of ions present in the water.
The electrolytes are the compounds that dissolve into ions when exposed to an electric field. More ions are present in the electrolyte, and the conductivity of water increases as the amount of ions present increases. In a similar vein, the lower the amount of ions present in water, the lower the conductivity of the water. Water that has been deionized or distilled can also act as an insulator due to the extremely low conductivity of the water. Seawater is claimed to have an extremely high conductivity value, according to certain sources.
According to some, pure water is a poor conductor of electricity. Normal water is considered to have contaminants in the form of ions known as minerals and other such substances. These ions are well-known for being responsible for the conduction of electric current in the water they inhabit. Because the electrical current in water is transmitted by the ions existing in it, the electrical conductivity of water is said to rise with an increase in the concentration of ions present in it, as seen in the graph below.
What Is the Conductivity of Water (Criteria)?
The conductivity of water refers to the degree to which it conducts or transmits electricity, heat, or sound while it is submerged in water. It is symbolised by the letters s or k.
The conductivity of water is a measure of the water’s ability to transmit electrical currents through it. The ability to conduct electricity is directly proportional to the concentration of conductive ions present in the water. Inorganic elements such as chlorides, alkalis, carbonate and sulphide complexes, as well as dissolved salts, are responsible for the formation of these conductive ions.
Conductivity of Seawater (Salinity)
The conductivity of electricity in saltwater is excellent. It has a conductivity that is higher than that of ordinary water. This is due to the fact that sodium ions and chlorine ions are present in salt molecules (NaCl).
What is the method of achieving conductivity?
So far, we’ve learnt that conductivity is solely a function of the presence of conductive ions in the water’s composition. The concern is, though, how it will actually operate. It can be easily explained by following the procedures outlined below:
Because of the presence of both positive and negative charges in the ions present in the water, the ions in the water conduct electricity.
When electrolytes dissolve in water, they are divided into two types of particles: cation particles, which are positively charged, and anions particles, which are negatively charged.
Because dissolved compounds have a tendency to divide in water, the concentrations of positive and negative charge in the water stay constant.
That is, even while the conductivity of water increases as a result of the addition of ions, the water retains its electrical neutrality in most cases.
Water conductivity measurement
Water’s conductivity is measured in units of micrograms per centimetre squared.
Pure water is not a good conductor of electricity, but its conductivity rises as the concentration of ions in the water increases. Typically, different purity levels of water exhibit varied conductivities, as seen in the table below:
The density of seawater is 5 S/m.
Conductivity of distilled water ranges between 5.5 and 6 S/m.
Drinking water conductivity ranges from 0.005 and 0.05 S/m.
Conclusion
Because the parameters and taste of the water vary from place to place, the taste of the product may also vary significantly, which will have an impact on the brand. As a result, TDS and conductivity, which are fundamental features of water, play a crucial role in ensuring that the water quality remains consistent.In the packaged drinking water section, the water quality is maintained through the use of the reverse osmosis process, which further improves the water quality in terms of total dissolved solids (TDS) and dissolved oxygen (EC). In the reverse osmosis process, water is pressurised across a semipermeable membrane, which removes pollutants while leaving the water uncontaminated. The RO process removes approximately 95-99 percent of total dissolved solids (TDS), resulting in extremely pure water.
