hat is ppm?

ppm is an abbreviation of parts per million. ppm is a value that represents the part of a
whole number in units of 1/1000000.
ppm is dimensionless quantity, a ratio of 2 quantities of the same unit. For example:
mg/kg.
One ppm is equal to 1/1000000 of the whole:
-6
1ppm = 1/1000000 = 0.000001 = 1×10
One ppm is equal to 0.0001%:
1ppm = 0.0001%
ppmw
ppmw is an abbreviation of parts per million weight, a subunit of ppm that is used for part
of weights like milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg).
ppmv
ppmv is an abbreviation of parts per million volume, a subunit of ppm that is used for
part of volumes like milliliters per cubic meter (ml/m 3).

Parts-per notations
Other part-per notations are written here:
Name Notation Coefficient
Percent % 10-2
Per-mille ‰ 10-3
Parts per million ppm 10-6
Parts per billion ppb 10-9
Parts per trillion ppt 10-12

Chemical concentration
ppm is used to measure chemical concentration, usually in a solution of water.
Solute concentration of 1 ppm is solute concentration of 1/1000000 of the solution.
The concentration C in ppm is calculated from the solute mass m solute in milligrams and
the solution mass msolution in milligrams .
C(ppm) = 1000000 × msolute / (msolution + msolute)
Usually the solute mass msolute is much smaller than the solution mass msolution.
msolute ≪ msolution
Then the concentration C in ppm is equal to 1000000 times the solute mass msolutein
milligrams (mg) divided by the solution mass msolution in milligrams (mg):
C(ppm) = 1000000 × msolute (mg) / msolution (mg)
The concentration C in ppm is also equal to the solute mass msolute in milligrams (mg)
divided by the solution mass msolution in kilograms (kg):
C(ppm) = msolute (mg) / msolution (kg)
When the solution is water, the volume of mass of one kilogram is approximately one
liter.
The concentration C in ppm is also equal to the solute mass msolute in milligrams (mg)
divided by the water solution volume Vsolution in liters (l):
C(ppm) = msolute (mg) / Vsolution (l)

Concentration of CO2
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere is about 388ppm.

Frequency stability
The frequency stability of an electronic oscillator component can be measured in ppm.
The maximal frequency variation Δf, divided by the frequency f is equal to the frequency
stability
Δf(Hz) / f(Hz) = FS(ppm) / 1000000
Example
Oscillator with frequency of 32MHz and accuracy of ±200ppm, has frequency accuracy
of
Δf(Hz) = ±200ppm × 32MHz / 1000000 = ±6.4kHz
So the oscillator produces clock signal within the range of 32MHz±6.4kHz.
The supplied frequency variation is caused from y voltage and load changes.

PM conversions
How to convert ppm to decimal fraction
The part P in decimal is equal to the part P in ppm divided by 1000000:
P(decimal) = P(ppm) / 1000000
Example
Find the decimal fraction of 300ppm:
P(decimal) = 300ppm / 1000000 = 0.0003
How to convert decimal fraction to ppm
The part P in ppm is equal to the part P in decimal times 1000000:
P(ppm) = P(decimal) × 1000000
Example
Find how many ppm are in 0.0034:
P(ppm) = 0.0034 × 1000000 = 3400ppm
How to convert ppm to percent
The part P in percent (%) is equal to the part P in ppm divided by 10000:
P(%) = P(ppm) / 10000
Example
Find how many percent are in 6ppm:
P(%) = 6ppm / 10000 = 0.0006%
How to convert percent to ppm
The part P in ppm is equal to the part P in percent (%) times 10000:
P(ppm) = P(%) × 10000
Example
Find how many ppm are in 6%:
P(ppm) = 6% × 10000 = 60000ppm
How to convert ppb to ppm
The part P in ppm is equal to the part P in ppb divided by 1000:
P(ppm) = P(ppb) / 1000
Example
Find how many ppm are in 6ppb:
P(ppm) = 6ppb / 1000 = 0.006ppm
How to convert ppm to ppb
The part P in ppb is equal to the part P in ppm times 1000:
P(ppb) = P(ppm) × 1000
Example
Find how many ppb are in 6ppm:
P(ppb) = 6ppm × 1000 = 6000ppb
How to convert milligrams/liter to ppm
The concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to the concentration C in
milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and equal to 1000 times the concentration C in
milligrams per liter (mg/L), divided by the solution density ρ in kilograms per cubic meter
(kg/m3):
C(ppm) = C(mg/kg) = 1000 × C(mg/L) / ρ(kg/m3)
In water solution, the concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to 1000 times
the concentration C in milligrams per liter (mg/L) divided by the water solution density at
temperature of 20ºC, 998.2071 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m ) and approximately
3

equal to the concentration C in milligrams per liter (mg/L):

C(ppm) = 1000 × C(mg/L) / 998.2071(kg/m3) ≈ 1(L/kg) × C(mg/L)
How to convert grams/liter to ppm
The concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to 1000 times the concentration
C in grams per kilogram (g/kg) and equal to 1000000 times the concentration C in grams
per liter (g/L), divided by the solution density ρ in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):
C (ppm) = 1000 × C = 10 × C
(g/kg)
6
/ρ
(g/L) (kg/m3)
In water solution, the concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to 1000 times
the concentration C in grams per kilogram (g/kg) and equal to 1000000 times the
concentration C in grams per liter (g/L), divided by the water solution density at
temperature of 20ºC 998.2071 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m ) and approximately
3

equal to 1000 times the concentration C in milligrams per liter (mg/L):

C = 1000 × C
(ppm) = 10 × C
(g/kg)
6
/ 998.2071
(g/L) ≈ 1000
(kg/m3)
× C(g/L)
How to convert moles/liter to ppm
The concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to the concentration C in
milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and equal to 1000000 times the molar concentration
(molarity) c in moles per liter (mol/L), times the solute molar mass in grams per mole
(g/mol), divided by the solution density ρ in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):
C (ppm) =C = 10 × c
(mg/kg)
6
×M
(mol/L) /ρ
(g/mol) (kg/m3)
In water solution, the concentration C in parts-per million (ppm) is equal to the
concentration C in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and equal to 1000000 times the
molar concentration (molarity) c in moles per liter (mol/L), times the solute molar mass in
grams per mole (g/mol), divided by the water solution density at temperature of 20ºC
998.2071 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):
C =C
(ppm) = 10 × c
(mg/kg)
6
×M
(mol/L) / 998.2071
(g/mol) (kg/m3)≈
1000 × c(mol/L) × M(g/mol)
How to convert ppm to Hz
The frequency variation in hertz (Hz) is equal to the frequency stability FS in ppm times
the frequency in hertz (Hz) divided by 1000000:
Δf(Hz) = ± FS<-box;">(ppm)(ppm) × f(Hz) / 1000000
Example
Oscillator with frequency of 32MHz and accuracy of ±200ppm, has frequency accu0racy
of
Δf(Hz) = ±200ppm × 32MHz / 1000000 = ±6.4kHz
So the oscillator produces clock signal within the range of 32MHz±6.4kHz.

ppm to ratio, percent, ppb, ppt conversion table

Parts- Coefficient / Percent Parts per Parts per trillion (ppt)
per Ratio (%) billion
million
(ppb)
(ppm)
1 ppm 1×10-6 0.0001% 1000 ppb 1×106 ppt
2 ppm 2×10-6 0.0002% 2000 ppb 2×106 ppt
3 ppm 3×10-6 0.0003% 3000 ppb 3×106 ppt
4 ppm 4×10-6 0.0005% 4000 ppb 4×106 ppt
5 ppm 5×10-6 0.0005% 5000 ppb 5×106 ppt
6 ppm 6×10-6 0.0006% 6000 ppb 6×106 ppt
7 ppm 7×10-6 0.0007% 7000 ppb 7×106 ppt
8 ppm 8×10-6 0.0008% 8000 ppb 8×106 ppt
9 ppm 9×10-6 0.0009% 9000 ppb 9×106 ppt
10000
10 ppm 1×10-5 0.0010% 1×107 ppt
ppb
20000
20 ppm 2×10-5 0.0020% 2×107 ppt
ppb
30000
30 ppm 3×10-5 0.0030% 3×107 ppt
ppb
40000
40 ppm 4×10-5 0.0040% 4×107 ppt
ppb
50000
50 ppm 5×10-5 0.0050% 5×107 ppt
ppb
60000
60 ppm 6×10-5 0.0060% 6×107 ppt
ppb
70000
70 ppm 7×10-5 0.0070% 7×107 ppt
ppb
80000
80 ppm 8×10-5 0.0080% 8×107 ppt
ppb
9×10
width="91"
90000
90 ppm 9×10-5 0.0090% style="box-sizing:
ppb
bted-space"> ppt

100000
100 ppm 1×10-4 0.0100% 01×108 ppt
ppb
200000
200 ppm 2×10-4 0.0200% 2×108 ppt
ppb
300000
300 ppm 3×10-4 0.0300% 3×108 ppt
ppb
400000
400 ppm 4×10-4 0.0400% 4×108 ppt
ppb
 500000
500 ppm 5×10-4 0.0500% 5×108 ppt
ppb
1000
0.001 0.1000% 1×106 ppb 1×109 ppt
ppm
10000
0.010 1.0000% 1×107 ppb 1×1010 ppt
ppm
100000
0.100 10.0000% 1×108 ppb 1×1011 ppt
ppm
1000000
1.000 100.0000% 1×109 ppb 1×1012 ppt
ppm