Can the difference in hardness of mineral water be detected by electrical conductivity? 【Basic Knowledge】

Hardness 11 and 1468, with an electrical conductivity difference of 13 times? Verified by actual measurements!

■How does electrical conductivity change with hardness? When measuring the electrical conductivity of seven types of commercially available mineral water, it was found that a product with a hardness of 11 mg/L, which is close to soft water, had an electrical conductivity of 19.05 mS/m, while a product with a very high hardness of 1468 mg/L had a conductivity of 0.243 S/m (243 mS/m), showing a significant difference. ■Why are hardness and electrical conductivity linked? Hardness is an indicator of the amount of calcium and magnesium, both of which exist as ions in water. Since electrical conductivity increases in proportion to the amount of ions in the water, water with higher hardness tends to have higher electrical conductivity as well. Conversely, this means that by measuring electrical conductivity alone, one can roughly estimate the amount of dissolved minerals in the water. ■What is the actual difference? The seven types measured this time had a hardness range of 11 to 1468 mg/L, which is more than a 130-fold difference, and the electrical conductivity varied from 19.05 mS/m to 243 mS/m, resulting in approximately a 13-fold difference. By using a conductivity meter, you can easily check the differences in water hardness numerically. If you are having trouble with water quality management, please feel free to consult us first.

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