Nowadays, water quality is very important for people’s lives. Water testing could be for industrial purposes, laboratory purposes, and others.
Optical instruments can be used to test water quality. The common equipment to test water are spectrophotometers and turbidimeters.
Differences between turbidimeter and spectrophotometer
A turbidimeter measures the turbidity of a liquid, which is a measure of how cloudy or hazy the liquid is. This is done by developing an optical analysis that allows you to measure the suspended particles in a dissolved gas or a liquid. It uses a light source and a light detector (a photocell) that is fixed at a right angle to the original beam.
On the other hand, a spectrophotometer measures how much light a substance absorbs. It projects a beam of monochromatic light (of a particular wavelength) through a sample and measures the amount of light that is absorbed by that sample. This allows the analyst to perform two functions: it gives information about the nature of the substance in the sample and tells how much of the substance is present in the sample.
Thus, both instruments deal with light and its interaction with a sample, they measure different properties and are used for different purposes.
Turbidity meters
A turbidimeter, also known as a turbidity meter, is an instrument used to measure the turbidity of liquids. Turbidity is a measure of cloudiness in liquids and is recognized as a simple indicator of general water quality.
The turbidity of a sample is proportional to the intensity of the light reflected by particles in the water. In other words, a turbidimeter measures the amount of light scattered by particles suspended in a fluid sample.
Turbidimeters can be used in various applications, including drinking water, wastewater, industrial water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemical refining, metals and mining, agriculture, power generation, and more. They come in different types, such as portable turbidimeters for field measurements, laboratory benchtop turbidimeters for precise measurements in controlled conditions, and process turbidimeters for continuous measurement of flowing samples.
Turbidimeter types
A turbidity meter, also known as a turbidimeter, is a type of analytical instrument used to measure the turbidity, or cloudiness, of liquids. It falls under the category of environmental sensors.
Turbidimeters can be grouped into three main types based on their form factors:
Benchtop Turbidimeters: These are fixed-mode devices typically used in laboratories. They use glass samples and often feature switches to turn off ratio functions so that they can also be used as single-beam designs.
Portable Turbidimeters: These are handheld devices that offer convenient measurements in the field. They are durable, simple to use, and able to conduct rapid tests in remote locations.
Online or Process Turbidimeters: These offer the most accurate and continuous measurement of flowing samples. They are essential in environments like drinking water and wastewater treatment plants where turbidity needs to be monitored continuously.
Spectrophotometer testing liquid
A spectrophotometer works by passing a beam of light through a sample and measuring the intensity of light that is absorbed. Four parts in a spectrophotometer work together to get the testing experiment done, they are the light source, monochromator, sample, and detector.
Each type of molecule has an individual set of energy levels associated with the makeup of its chemical bonds and nuclei and thus will absorb light of specific wavelengths, resulting in unique spectral properties. The amount of light absorbed by the sample can provide information about the nature and concentration of chemicals in the sample.
Spectrophotometry is widely used for quantitative analysis in various areas such as chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, material and chemical engineering, clinical applications, industrial applications, etc. It’s a standard and inexpensive technique to measure light absorption or the amount of chemicals in a solution.
In conclusion, a turbidimeter has the same functions as a spectrophotometer. The turbidimeter is to measure liquid, and the spectrophotometer is not just to measure liquid but also to include any samples. A turbidimeter can be a type of spectrophotometer, but a spectrophotometer is not a turbidimeter.
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