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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Difference between TDS and Conductivity

The major difference between TDS and conductivity is that the TDS refers to the total amount of dissolved solids in a solution or liquid, which includes both conductible and non-conductible particles, while conductivity is a measure of the ability of an analyte to conduct electricity.

Conductivity and TDS are often assumed to be interchangeable; however, they are not the same thing. The ability of a substance to conduct electricity is measured by its conductivity. Its measurement is the reciprocal of Ohm, so Mhos is a unit of conductivity. Thus, if dealing with purely dissolved inorganic materials, such as salts like sodium chloride, conductivity measurements may be used to calculate TDS pretty accurately.


In most cases, the conductance will be determined and converted to total dissolved solids to obtain an estimated TDS value. TDS meter will do this conversion automatically on a basis of a conversion factor. This factor will be based on the sample being tested and it is significant to select the most suitable meter. Generally, in the drinking water, the range of total dissolved solids (TDS) is between 500 mg/L to 1000 mg/L and electrical conductivity (EC) does not exceed 1500 μS/cm.

What is electrical conductivity (EC):

Conductivity is an estimation of how well an aqueous sample solution can carry an electrical current. The conductivity is a significant factor in the water, Conductivity accounted in units of Siemens/cm (S/cm) that signify the conductance over a given path length. The units of microSiemens/cm (µS/cm) or milliSiemens/cm (mS/cm) is more useful for describing waters.

What is total dissolved solids (TDS):

TDS (total dissolved solids) is determining the mass of solids dissolved in a sample solution and is usually articulated as mg/L or parts per million (ppm). This is achieved by reading the conductivity using a conversion factor. To get accurate TDS readings, the correct TDS factor should be used. The total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) both are quality parameters for water and other sample solutions.

Difference between TDS and conductivity:

  • The difference between TDS and conductivity is that the TDS concentration explains the amounts of inorganic salts and organic materials in water or samples, whereas conductivity (EC) is determined by the ability of the sample solution to conduct electric current.
  • The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of the sample is determined using a TDS meter, while the conductance of the sample is determined using a conductivity meter. When determining TDS and, conductivity both TDS and conductivity meters pass electricity through a sample solution. Conductivity meters are used to calculate a substance's TDS.
  • The most common scale for measuring TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is ppm (parts per million), while the most common scale for measuring EC (Electrical Conductivity) is µS (micro-Siemens).

Commonly asked questions on conductivity and total dissolved solids are as follows.

Is TDS and conductivity the same?
TDS and conductivity have a close relationship; however, they are not the same thing. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) are two different parameters.

How is conductivity calculated on TDS?
Water quality parameters such as conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) are used to describe the salinity levels in the sample. These two parameters are correlated and are commonly stated using a simple equation: TDS = k EC

What is the difference between TDS and EC?
TDS stands for total dissolved solids and EC stands for electrical conductivity, they are both closely related, and however, they are completely different measurements.



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