UDC628113

: 53731

IS : 3025 ( Part 14 ) - 1984,

(Second Reprint JULY 1998 )

0834

( Reaffirmed 2002
19% )
( Reaffirmed
I

Indian Standard

METHODS OF SAMPLING AND TEST ( PHYSICAL AND

CHEMICAL)
FOR WATER AND WASTE WATER
PART

14

SPECIFIC

CONDUCTANCE
CONDUCTANCE

(WHEATSTONE
CELL)

BRIDGE,

( First Revision)

.
I. Scope 1 i s applicable
I

Prescribes a method for the determination

to all types of water.

of specific conductance

of water.

This method

- Specific conductance
42. Principle
is determined
by using a wheatstone
bridge in which a variable
solution between platinized
Ieesistance is adjusted so that it is equal to the resistance of the unknown
cell.
telectrodes of a standard conductivity
The cell constant
is determined
by the
following
r,elationship:
Specific

conductance

Conductance

Specific

conductance

Cell constant
--- ~~--..- ~~Resistance

The cell constant

is determined

X Cell constant,

experimentally

or

with a standard

solution

of known

conductance.

: I. Interference
I 3.1 Temperature
affects conductivity,
which varies by about 2 percent per degree Celsius.
The
It is desirable to observe the conductivity
at 25C or as
t emperature of 25C is taken as standard.
as possible, although compensation
for variations
from it can be made.
Irear to this temperature
I n some instruments, this is made automatically.
.3.2 Dissolved carbon dioxide
Iiowever, the effect is not large
\Nater OH- ions, may contribute
(If these ions.
Water with high
\/ity to total dissolved solids
(zonductance values.
,
!
!

.3.3 It is not convenient to use water containing

large amount
High suspended matter also affects electrical
:settled or filtered.
3.4

I
,
I
:
J

increases conductivity
without
increasing
the mineral salt content.
In low pH water, H+ ions and in high pH
and it is usual to ignore it.
substantially
to conductivity
owing to high equivalent
conductivity
silica ( SiOa 1 content give relatively low values of electrical
conductiratio as SiOz ( H&i04 ) does not contribute significantly
to electrical

Samples

containing

fat, grease, oil, tar, etc, may contaminate

of suspended
matter.
conductance values.
the electrodes

It should

be

causing erratic results.

14. Apparatus
4.1

Conductivity

% 4.2 Conductivity
; of conductivities.
z below:
5
J
j
>
;
!:
i
;
:

Adopted

Meter

Wheatstone

bridge type or equivalent

direct reading

meter.

Cc//s - Cells of at least two different cell constants, for measurement of wide
Specific conductance
ranges and corresponding values of cell constants
are

Ce If Constant

Specific Conductance
ps/cm at 25C
-

1 000

02

40

2 000

05

100

4 000

10

200

10000

20

400

20 000

50

10 000

40 000

100

20

25 January

1984

I
BUREAU
MANAK

(9 September 1985, BIS

I
OF
BHAVAN,

INDIAN

STANDARDS

Q BAHADUR
NEW

DELHI

SHAH

110002

ZAFAR

MARG

Gr 2

range
given

IS : 3025 ( Part 14 ) - 1984

4.3

Thermometer
Note -

5,

0 to 5OC, graduated

Some direct

reading

conductivity

in 01C.
meters have automatic

temperature

compensation

built

into the instrument.

Reagents

chloride,
dried at 180C
5.1 Standard Potassium Chloride Solution - Dissolve 0523 2 g potassium
for 1 hour in demineralised
water
and dilute
to 1 000 ml.
The distilled
water used for preparing
The specific conductance
of this solution
at
standard
solutions
should have a very low conductivity.
25C is 1 000 ps/cm
and the concentration
of this solution
is 0007 02 N.
Alternatively,
dissolve
0745 6 g of anhydrous
potassium
chloride,
dried at 180C for 1 hour in distilled
water and make up to
1 000 ml at 25C. The specific conductance
of this solution
at 25C is 1 408 W/cm and the concen!ration of this solution
is 001 N.
6. Procedure
For platinizing,
6.1 Platinizing
of Cell - Platinizing
of cell is required when readings
become erratic.
Place the
clean the cell in chromic
acid solution
once and rinse several times with distilled
water.
cell in a commercial
platinizing
solution
or dissolve
3 g of chloroplatinic
acid
( H? Pt CIS ) in IO ml
Connect
it with two dry cells of 15 volts each
water
to which
20 mg lead acetate has been added.
in parallel and reverse the direction
of the current
once a minute
for 6 minutes
or till the shining
platinum
surface is covered.
Repeat the electrolytic
process using 10 percent sulphuric
acid to remove
chlorine.
Wash with distilled
water and keep ;he cell immersed
in distilled
water when not in use.
In some instruments
correction
for
6.2 Set the instrumsnt
according
to manufacturers
instruction.
If this arrangement
is not there,
cell constant
may
cell constant
and temperature
factor is provided.
be separately
determined
and values
of specific conductance
should be converted
to 25C by multiplying with the factor given in Table 1.
Cell constant,

K, t- K,
- Kx x f

where
K,

conductivity

in pslcm

K,

conductivity
solution:

in ps,cm of distilled

Kx

=
=

measured

Note -

of the potassium

conductance

temperature
( see Table

factor
1 ).

in @/cm;
for

chloride

water,

solution

at 25C,

used

at 25C;
for

preparing

the

and

converting

specific

conductance

value

to

that

6.4 Because
the cell constants
are subject to slow change even under ideal conditions
to more rapid change under adverse conditions,
it is recommended
that cell constant
established.

7.

at

25C

If KS is very low, it may be ignored.

Potassium
chloride
6.3 Determine
conductivity
of 0007 02 N potassium
chloride
or 001 N.
Measure the temperature
by use of instrument
in accordance
with manufacturers
instructions.
solution
before and after the test and take the mean value ( tC ).

6.5

reference

Determine

conductance

Calculation

Specific

of the unknown

Calculate

specific

conductance

&cm

and sometimes
be periodically

sample.

conductance

at 25C,

solution
of the

as follows:
KLf

where

conductivity,

cell constant;

factor

ps/cm;
and

for converting

8. Precision
and Accuracy
precision and accuracy of about

specific

conductance

value

to that

at 25C.

depend on the instrument

used.
Generally
Precision and accuracy
f3 percent or less are possible with good qualrty instruments.
2

a.

IS : 3025 ( Part 14 ) - 1984

TABLE1

MULTIPLICATION

FACTOR
TO CONVERT
VALUES
TO 25C

SPECIFIC

CONDUCTANCE

( Clause 6.2 )
Temperature
"C

Factor
f

Temperature
OC

Factor
f

15'0

1'247

230

1'043

302

0904

16'0

1'218

23.2

1.038

30.4

0901

16'2

1'212

23.4

1'034

306

0897

16'4

1'206

23-6

1'029

308

0894

16'6

1'200

23.8

1'025

310

0890

16'8

1'194

240

1'020

312

0'887

17'0

1'189

242

1'016

314

0.884

17'2

1'184

244

1'012

316

0'880

17'4

1'179

246

1'008

318

0'877

17'6

1'174

238

1'004

320

0'873

17'8

1'169

250

1'000

32.2

0.870

18'0

1'163

25.2

0.996

326

0'864

18'2

1'157

254

0'992

328

0'861

18'4

1'152

266

0'988

330

0'858

33.2

0'853

Temperature
C

Factor
f

18.6

1'147

258

0'983

18'8

1'142

260

0'979

334

0'852

19'0

1'136

262

0'975

336

0'849

19'2

l-131

264

0'971

338

0'846

19'4

1'127

266

0'967

340

0'843

19'6

1'122

268

0'964

L 350

0'829

19'8

1'117

270

0'960

360

0'815

20'0

1'112

27.2

0'956

37.0

0'801

20'2

1'107

274

0'953

380

0'788

20'4

1'102

276

0'950

390

0'775

20'6

l-097

278

0'947

400

0'763

20-8

1'092

280

0'943

410

0'750

21'0

I-087

282

0'940

420

O-739

21'2

1.082

284

0'936

430

0'727

21'4

1'076

286

0'932

440

0'715

21'6

1'073

288

0.929

450

0'705

21'8

1'068

29.0

0'925

460

0'694

22'0

1'064

292

0'921

470

0'683

22'2

1'060

294

0'918

22'4

1'055

296

0.914

22'6

1'051

298

22'8

1'047

30.0

0'911
.

0'907

IS : 3025 ( Part 14 ) - 1984

9. Relationship Between Conductivity

and Total Dissolved Solids

9.1 The ability of a solution to conduct an electric current is a function of the concentration and
Ionic mobility decreases with increase
charge of ions in solution and also depends on ionic mobility.
in number of ions per unit volume of solution due to interionic effect and at,her factors.
Broadly, the
relationship between conductivity and dissolved solids and conductivity and soluble cations is given by
the following equations:
AK

1ooc

and,

where
A
K
S
c
Note -The
as 065.

=
=
=
=

multiplication factor for converting conductivity values to total dissolved

conductivity in Pscm,
total dissolved solids in mg/l, and
total soluble cations in meq/l.
value of A varies from 054 to 096 depending on the nature of ion present in water,

solids;

and is usually taken

9.2 The relationships given in 9.1 are approximate and are used for broad checking only and should
Types of ions present in solution affect these relationships.
not .be used for accurate calculations.
A pure solution of sodium bicarbonate with total dissolved solids 980 mg/l will have a conductivity
of 1 000 ps/cm and a solution of sodium chloride with total dissolved solids 500 mgll will have the
Presence of relatively low conductivity particles or molecules like silicic acid and
same conductivity.
the presence of Hh and OH- ions also effect the ratio between conductivity and total dissolved solids.

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

Specific conductance is the conductance across a column of liquid one square centimetre in area
and one centimetre long at a specific temperature.
It is a measure of capacity of water to convey an
electric current and is related to the nature of various dissolved substances and their activities.
Its
value is affected by the temperature of measurement.
The standard unit of electrical conductance is
Siemen per litre (s/l ). In practice, smaller units such as microsiemens per litre (ccs/l ) are used.
A conductance cell and a Wheatstone bridge are used for measuring the electrical resistances of the
sample and of potassium chloride solution of known specific conductance at the same temperature.
As specific conductance varies directly with the temperature of the sample, the results are reported at
25C.
In general, specific conductance Increases approximately by about 2 percent per degree Celsius.
Factors based on 001 M potassium chloride are applied to convey specific conductance values at
25C.
4
PdnW at NW India Ptinling Press, Khurja. lndla