Measurement of water’s electrical resistivity

Luiz Augusto Bernardi1, Nichollas Kowaleski Saucedo2, Vicente Machado Neto3

Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná - UTFPR

Avenida Sete de Setembro, 3165 - Curitiba/PR, Brasil - CEP 80230-9011,2,3

lbernardi@alunos.utfpr.edu.br1, nsaucedo@alunos.utfpr.edu.br2, vmachado@utfpr.edu.br3

Resumo: Este artigo tem por objetivo a demonstração de um excelente método

metrológico para a obtenção da resistividade, e consequentemente a
condutividade, elétrica de amostras de água de uma específica marca, fazer o
tratamento dos dados obtidos e analisar a diferença entre os dados obtidos e os
dados apresentados no rótulo. E, por fim, discutir a importância desse
conhecimento.

Palavras-chave: Água, resistividade elétrica, metrologia.

Abstract: This article has the goal to expose a great metrological method to get
the electrical resistivity, and hence the conductivity, of a certain brand of water,
then treat this data and analyze the difference between the obtained data and the
presented values in the label. Then, finally, to discuss the importance of this
knowledge.

Keyword: Water, electrical resistivity, metrology.

1. INTRODUCTION Even though the minerals within the water

are responsible for the conductivity of the water,
The electrical resistivity is the property that it must be controlled, once the higher the
defines how much a material opposes itself to number of conductivity the higher the number of
the electrical current flow, which means, the impurities and the smaller the resistivity. That is
smaller the electrical resistivity the easier will be one of the reasons why this information is given
the current flow within the material. The inverse upon the label of the bottle of water.
of the resistivity is the conductivity, which
represents the ability of the material to conduct Source Resistivity
electricity. Pure water 18,2 MΩ𝑐𝑚 !!
The pure water has only few ions and 1,43 to 33,33
because of that, it works as a thermal insulator, Mineral water
KΩ𝑐𝑚 !!
once its resistance is enormous. Although if the
water contain minerals in it, even in small Sea water 17,86 Ω𝑐𝑚 !!
quantities, the number of ions grows and it
becomes an electrolyte, which is an extremely [3]
important conductor. [1]
The ingested water must have good quality, 2. METHOD
as in physical-chemical point of view as in the
biological, so it doesn’t cause any harm to the The metrological method to measure the
human health, once it’s known that a significant resistivity of water is quite simple, although it
variety of human diseases can be transmitted demands some laboratory equipment such as
through poorly-treated water. [2] two digital multimeter Minipa MDM-8165A,
one varivolt AC, one container, four copper
electrodes, one 100 ml Becker glass, one
thermometer, one Mitutoyo caliper rule, one rule
and the water that will be tested.
The multimeters will be essential to
measure the voltage and current within the
circuit, which will be set inside the container
using the electrodes and the water to be tested.
The varivolt AC will be useful to generate and
control the tension upon the circuit, the Becker
glass is used just to know the amount of water
used and the thermometer is extremely useful to
control the water temperature, once it has a
major influence on the resistivity and can affect
the whole experiment. The caliper rule and the
rule will be used just to measure and calculate
the area of the electrodes and the distance
among them after the set up.
To accomplish this experience, it’s needed
the knowledge of two important concepts: the
Wenner array and the 4-wire measurement
method. The first step is to set the equipment,
measure the length, width and height of the
electrodes, then put them inside the container
with a calculated and measured distance among
them. After that, the test leads connected to the
voltmeter is also connected to the electrodes in
the middle, one of the varivolt test leads is
connected to one of the amperemeter and the
other in the first electrode, to power the circuit
and finally, the other test lead of the
amperemeter is connected to the fourth (last)
electrode to close the circuit.
The arrangement of the electrodes
represents the Wenner array and the 4-wire
measurement method allows us to measure the
voltage of the circuit and still monitor the
current, or the other way around.
Figure 1: Wenner array.
Figure 2: 4-wire set up.
Another important thing in this experience
is the fact that the current that pass through the
electrodes must be AC, once that if it was direct,
the electrodes would be polarized and would
cause electrolysis in the measuring and hence
affect the whole experience.
With that in mind, eleven values of test
current was chosen to verify the linear response
of the voltage. Those eleven measures formed
one cycle, which was repeated to complete
seven cycles, always controlling the initial and
final temperature, to make sure the properties of
the water doesn’t suffer any great variation.
In order to ensure the repeatability,
therefore, three measures of each geometric
parameter (distance between electrodes and their
base and height) was taken, once those values
can affect directly the resistivity, according to
the second Ohm’s law.
(𝑏 ∗ ℎ)
𝜌=𝑅∗
𝐿
Considering the resistivity equals the
electrical resistance (R), the area of the
electrodes (b*h) and the distance between the
electrodes (L).
3. RESULTS
After the measurement process, a table was
created containing those eleven values,
distributed over seven different measures
(cycles), each value having a pair of information
(voltage and current over the sample).
The data treatment and statistical analysis,
which it was submitted, allows us to determine
the random uncertainty of each value and the
repeatability over each cycle.
 Combining the uncertainty given in the 𝜎! ! 𝜎! 𝜎!
𝑤 = 𝑎 ∗ (𝑦 𝑥) ( ) = ( )! + ( )!
manual of each equipment and the random one, 𝑤 𝑥 𝑦
𝜎! 𝜎!
already determined, it was possible to present all 𝑤 = 𝑥! = 𝑚∗
the factors of uncertainty in only one value. 𝑤 𝑥
[4]
After treating the data, it was possible to
Applying correctly the uncertainties values
plot the graph to relate each applied current (I)
to their voltage (V). In the first Ohm’s law was over each mathematical operation it’s possible
stated that V = R * I, which makes possible the to conclude:
linear fit of the values plotted before, where R
represents the linear coefficient of the linear fit. 𝜌 = (7,11   ± 0,20)  kΩ cm
The software SciDavis was used to
generate this linear fit and it provided a Pearson And, therefore:
linear correlation coefficient (r = 0,99997), and a
dispersion coefficient (Chi^2/doF = 10,55403). 1
Both coefficients indicates that the mathematic 𝜎= = (140,74   ± 3,96)  µS cm
𝜌
model is correct and appropriate, and the
dispersion of the sample values and the linear fit
It’s essential to ensure that the average
are low. Thus the linear fit can be written as:
temperature is taken into account to normalize
those results and then define the reproducibility
𝑌 = 3,4039   ± 0,0698 ∗ 10! 𝑥  –  (0,005  
conditions. Thus, taking into account the
+/−  0,019) random and the equipment uncertainties
combined, the final result was stated as:

𝜌 = 7,11   ± 0,20 kΩ cm a (23,0 ± 0,6)  ℃

4. CONCLUSION
By finishing the experience, even without a
lab with a controlled environment, it’s possible
to confirm some of the data presented in the
labels, which is important for a mineral water,
once the variation of these values can be
harmful to the human health.
From this equation, it’s possible to Besides it, analyzing the obtained data
conclude that the sample resistane is, as a allows us to conclude that the method applied to
matter of fact, the angular coefficient of the this experience is not only didactically
linear fit, which means: accessible, but it also has a great metrological
3,40   ± 0,07  kΩ quality to determine the resistivity of the water,
by using the 4-wire measurement and the
Having these values, it’s possible to Wenner array concepts.
proceed to the determination of the resistivity of
the sample of water. To determine this number, 5. REFERENCES
Ohm’s second law was applied. By applying
this law, the geometrical uncertainties must be [1] Ensino de Física On Line -
taken into account according to the uncertainty Universidade de São Paulo (2007). Disponivel
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http://efisica.if.usp.br/eletricidade/basico/eletroli
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𝜎! 𝜎! 𝜎!
𝑤 =𝑥∗𝑦 ( )! = ( )! + ( )!
𝑤 𝑥 𝑦 [2] DOS SANTOS, Fabiola Lopes;
TEIXEIRA, Taise Fachini; DE LIMA, Elisete
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http://revista.unilins.edu.br/index.php/cognitio/a
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[3] Condumetria - Universidade Federal de

Juiz de Fora (2012). Available at:
http://www.ufjf.br/nupis/files/2012/04/aula-4-
condutometria_1.pdf. Access on June 28th,
2015.
[4] TABACKNIKS, Manfredo. Mecânica
(universitário). Available at:
http://efisica.if.usp.br/mecanica/universitario/inc
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