How to Convert Specific Conductivity to Salinity

••• Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

The word “specific,” when used in physics and chemistry, has a (specific) meaning. It refers to a quantity divided by an extensive (dimensional) measure to make it a measure of a substance’s properties instead of peculiar to a particular object. For example, specific conductivity (or just conductivity, which by definition already is a specific measure) measures a substance’s ability to conduct electricity. Scientists measure conductivity in seawater to determine salinity. While the conversion from the former to the latter uses a long equation of several terms, you can use an online calculator to make the conversion with just three variables.

    Convert your conductivity measurement’s unit from siemens per meter (S/m) to milli-siemens per centimeter (mS/cm). In other words, multiply by 10.

    Raise the conductivity (in mS/cm) to the power 1.0878.

    Multiply the result by 0.4665. This gives you salinity in grams (of salt) per liter (of solution).

    Warnings

    • An accurate conversion for salinity ranges 5 to 100 milli-siemens per centimeter, or 0.5 to 10 S/m. This is useful for aquariums, freshwater and saltwater. The above parameters apply to 25 degrees Celsius.

Related Articles

How to Convert Centimeters to Meters
How to Convert Specific Gravity in Weight
How to Convert Conductivity Units
How to Convert Candle Power to Lumens
How to Convert Ccf to Mmbtu
How to Convert Foot-Candles to Lux
How to Convert Metric Tons to Cubic Meters
How to Calculate Metric Conversions
How to Calculate Milligrams per Milliliter
How to Dissolve Sodium Bicarbonate
Brine Vs. Conductivity
How to Calculate Condensate Flow From AC Units
How to Convert Conductivity to Concentration
How to Convert Tds to Conductivity
How to Convert Gallons, Quarts, Pints and Cups
How to Calculate a T-Statistic
How to Calculate Volume of a Rectangular Prism
How to Convert SCFM to M3/H
How to Make a Five Percent Solution With Salt
How to Convert Cubic Meters to Ton