Parts-per

million (ppm)

Coefficient /
Ratio

Percent (%)

Parts per
billion (ppb)

Parts per trillion

(ppt)

1 ppm

110-6

0.0001%

1000 ppb

1106 ppt

2 ppm

210-6

0.0002%

2000 ppb

2106 ppt

3 ppm

310-6

0.0003%

3000 ppb

3106 ppt

4 ppm

410-6

0.0005%

4000 ppb

4106 ppt

5 ppm

510-6

0.0005%

5000 ppb

5106 ppt

6 ppm

610-6

0.0006%

6000 ppb

6106 ppt

7 ppm

710-6

0.0007%

7000 ppb

7106 ppt

8 ppm

810-6

0.0008%

8000 ppb

8106 ppt

9 ppm

910-6

0.0009%

9000 ppb

9106 ppt

10 ppm

110-5

0.0010%

10000 ppb

1107 ppt

20 ppm

210-5

0.0020%

20000 ppb

2107 ppt

30 ppm

310-5

0.0030%

30000 ppb

3107 ppt

40 ppm

410-5

0.0040%

40000 ppb

4107 ppt

50 ppm

510-5

0.0050%

50000 ppb

5107 ppt

60 ppm

610-5

0.0060%

60000 ppb

6107 ppt

70 ppm

710-5

0.0070%

70000 ppb

7107 ppt

80 ppm

810-5

0.0080%

80000 ppb

8107 ppt

90 ppm

910-5

0.0090%

90000 ppb

9107 ppt

100 ppm

110-4

0.0100%

100000 ppb

01108 ppt

200 ppm

210-4

0.0200%

200000 ppb

2108 ppt

300 ppm

310-4

0.0300%

300000 ppb

3108 ppt

400 ppm

410-4

0.0400%

400000 ppb

4108 ppt

500 ppm

510-4

0.0500%

500000 ppb

5108 ppt

1000 ppm

0.001

0.1000%

1106 ppb

1109 ppt

10000 ppm

0.010

1.0000%

1107 ppb

11010 ppt

100000 ppm

0.100

10.0000%

1108 ppb

11011 ppt

100.0000%

1109 ppb

11012 ppt

1000000 ppm 1.000

PPM 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 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):

C(ppm) = C(mg/kg) = 1000 C(mg/L) / (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
20C, 998.2071 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3) and approximately 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 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):

C(ppm) = 1000 C(g/kg) = 106 C(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 20C 998.2071 in
kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3) and approximately equal to 1000 times the concentration C in
milligrams per liter (mg/L):

C(ppm) = 1000 C(g/kg) = 106 C(g/L) / 998.2071(kg/m3) 1000 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 in
kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3):

C(ppm) = C(mg/kg) = 106 c(mol/L) M(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 20C 998.2071 in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m 3):

C(ppm) = C(mg/kg) = 106 c(mol/L) M(g/mol) / 998.2071(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:

f(Hz) = FS(ppm) f(Hz) / 1000000

Example

Oscillator with frequency of 32MHz and accuracy of 200ppm, has frequency accu0racy of

f(Hz) = 200ppm 32MHz / 1000000 = 6.4kHz

So the oscillator produces clock signal within the range of 32MHz6.4kHz.

What 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:

1ppm = 1/1000000 = 0.000001 = 110-6

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/m3).

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 msolute 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 msolute in 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 (CO2) 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 f, divided by the frequency f is equal to the frequency stability

f(Hz) / f(Hz) = FS(ppm) / 1000000

Example

Oscillator with frequency of 32MHz and accuracy of 200ppm, has frequency accuracy of

f(Hz) = 200ppm 32MHz / 1000000 = 6.4kHz

So the oscillator produces clock signal within the range of 32MHz6.4kHz.
The supplied frequency variation is caused from temperature change, aging, supply voltage and load
changes.