Question regarding concentration units

In summary: Could the source be from some foreign country? Compared to English, some other languages have a swapped use of "," and "." for numbers (e.g. 12345.6 can be written as 12.345,6), so 1.020 could mean 1020.20 or 1020 kg/m3.
  • #1
Lassy
4
0
Hi all,

I've done some experiments and I'm trying to work out the correct unit of my final concentration. The experiment goes thus far:
I added 800 uL of a substance into a litre of my sample (800uL/L).
This substance has a density of 1020 kg/m3 and is 60% w/w.
I'm trying to work out the amount of substance per litre of sample.
After my calculations I have arrived at a number of 490 but I will appreciate some clarification on this as well as if the correct final unit of concentration will be ug/L or mg/L.

Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
800 ##\mu L## = 0.8 cc

1020 kg/m3 = 1.02 gm/cc

(0.8)(0.6)(1.02) = 0.49 gm = 490 mg
 
  • #3
Chestermiller said:
800 ##\mu L## = 0.8 cc

1020 kg/m3 = 1.02 gm/cc

(0.8)(0.6)(1.02) = 0.49 gm = 490 mg

Thanks a lot for your reply, truly appreciated.

I have one more question, what if the density was 1.020 kg/m3?

Will the final concentration still be in mg/L or ug/L?
 
  • #4
I moved the thread to our homework section.

As long as you keep your units consistent, that problem never comes up.

1.020 kg / m3 * 1m3/(1000 L) * 800 µL * 0.6 = ..
 
  • #5
Lassy said:
Thanks a lot for your reply, truly appreciated.

I have one more question, what if the density was 1.020 kg/m3?

Will the final concentration still be in mg/L or ug/L?
That's a pretty low density
 
  • #6
Chestermiller said:
That's a pretty low density

Yes, but that's what is quoted on the data sheet for the substance.

This is the calculation I did:

Mass = D x V = 1.02mg / mL x 0.8mL / 1000 mL = 0.000816 mg/mL = 0.816 mg/L = 816 ug/L
816 ug/L x 60% = 490 ug/L
 
  • #7
Lassy said:
Yes, but that's what is quoted on the data sheet for the substance.

This is the calculation I did:

Mass = D x V = 1.02mg / mL x 0.8mL / 1000 mL = 0.000816 mg/mL = 0.816 mg/L = 816 ug/L
816 ug/L x 60% = 490 ug/L
So, where did the 1020 kg/m3 come from? This is 1.02 gm/cc.
 
  • #8
1.020 kg/m3 is a density lower than air. There is no liquid with that density.

Could the source be from some foreign country? Compared to English, some other languages have a swapped use of "," and "." for numbers (e.g. 12345.6 can be written as 12.345,6), so 1.020 could mean 1020.
 

Related to Question regarding concentration units

1. What are the different types of concentration units used in science?

There are several types of concentration units used in science, including molarity, molality, mass percent, volume percent, and parts per million (ppm). These units are used to express the amount of a solute dissolved in a given amount of solvent.

2. What is the difference between molarity and molality?

Molarity (M) is a concentration unit that measures the moles of solute per liter of solution, while molality (m) measures the moles of solute per kilogram of solvent. Molarity takes into account the volume of the solution, while molality takes into account the mass of the solvent.

3. How do you convert between different concentration units?

To convert between different concentration units, you can use conversion factors based on the definition of each unit. For example, to convert from molarity to molality, you would use the density of the solvent to convert the volume of solution to mass of solvent.

4. What are the advantages of using mass-based concentration units?

Mass-based concentration units, such as mass percent and parts per million, are not affected by changes in temperature or pressure. This makes them more accurate for certain applications, such as in environmental studies.

5. How do you calculate concentration using absorbance measurements?

Concentration can be calculated using absorbance measurements by using the Beer-Lambert Law, which states that there is a linear relationship between the concentration of a solution and the absorbance of light passing through it. By measuring the absorbance of a solution and knowing the molar absorptivity (ε) and path length (l) of the solution, you can calculate the concentration using the equation A = εcl.

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