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How to Measure the Electrical Charge of Particles in Water

Electricity flows through various mediums. Water, one of the electrical vessels, carries charged particles and permits electrical currents to travel along its surface. A conductivity meter measures water̵7;s electrical charge. Heavily charged particles are loaded with electrolytes and produce high ions counts. Essentially, electrolyte-laden water increases its conductivity. The better the conductivity is with water, the higher the ionic activity with the aquatic source. Water that lacks conductivity typically holds a good amount of nonelectrolytes. Measuring water conductivity can suggest the quality of water and indicate environmental advantages or dangers.

Things You'll Need

Conductivity meter

Instructions

- 1
  Collect your water samples. Using several different types of waters, isolate the particular samples and keep them separate for testing purposes. For your samples, secure distilled, tap and regular ground or outside water. You also can use other liquids to measure water's electrical charge, if desired. Depending on the water source, the ionic content should vary, and the conductivity measure will reflect the variances.
- 2
  Attach the meter to the solution. To prevent the direct applicators from rusting due to the water testing, try using an indirect extension, such as a paper clip, which you place into the solution. The illuminating light of the meter̵7;s LED is indicative of the conductivity of the tested solution. The brighter the light, the more electrically conductive is the water̵7;s content.
- 3
  Carefully clean the meters. Research suggests using deionized water for proper cleaning and effectively diffusing a conductivity meter. Deionized water neutralizes potentially false readings that the meter may register when not in use; using this kind of water between each immediate conductivity sampling is a proven way to help prevent invalidated results.

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