Concentration units

• Quantitative study of a solution requires knowing its concentration

• Concentration: the amount of solute present in a given amount of
solution.

Units

Mole molarit molalit

% fraction ppm ppb
s y y
 Percent by Mass
• the ratio of the mass of a solute to the mass of the solution,
multiplied by 100 percent

• The percent by mass is a unitless number because it is a ratio of two

similar quantities
 Mole Fraction (X)
• a dimensionless quantity that expresses the ratio of the
number of moles of one component to the number of moles of
all components present.

• The mole fraction is also unitless, because it too is a ratio of two

similar quantities
 Molarity (M)
• the number of moles of solute per liter of solution

• Moles of solute is mass of solute/ relative mass of solute

• the units of molarity are mol/L.
 Molality (m)
• the number of moles of solute dissolved in 1 kg (1000 g) of
solvent

• Moles of solute is mass of solute/ relative mass of solute

• the units of molarity are mol/Kg.
 parts per million (ppm) and
parts per billion (ppb)
• The number of milligrams of solute per kg of solution = one
ppm, since1mg=10-3 gand1kg=103 g.
• Assuming the density of water is 1.00 g/mL, 1 liter of solution
= 1 kg and hence, 1 mg/L = 1 ppm.
• Parts per million concentrations are essentially mass ratios
(solute to solution) x a million (106).
 parts per million (ppm) and
parts per billion (ppb)
• Other variations on this theme include:
• ppt – parts per thousand (used for common ions in sea water)
• ppb – parts per billion (used for heavy metals and organics)
• ppt – parts per trillion (used for trace metals and trace
organics
parts per million (ppm) and
parts per billion (ppb)
THANK YOU!