In science, there are certain mathematical calculations by which we get to know about the value. Therefore, PPM and PPMV are two types of short forms of scientific calculations.
The PPM and PPMV fall under the category of dimensionless quantities. One should have a clear concept and vision for the terms as they are very distinct from each other. Both are the units of measurement.
Key Takeaways
- PPM stands for parts per million, while PPMV stands for parts per million volume.
- PPM expresses concentration in gases and liquids, while PPMV is only used for gases.
- PPM measures the concentration of a substance in terms of its weight, while PPMV measures the concentration in terms of its volume.
PPM vs PPMV
Parts per million (PPM) is used to measure the weight of a chemical or a pollutant in soil and sediments. PPM is concentrated with solid substances. Parts per million volume (PPMV) is used to measure the concentration of air pollutants present in the atmosphere in parts per million by volume.
The short form of PPM is parts per million. It is mainly the concentration of solid objects. PPM is used to calculate the measurement of the quantity by weight.
Generally, this is the manner of concluding the traces of contaminants and food ventures.
The subjects such as physics, chemistry, and engineering conclude the abbreviation PPM and are used to describe the notions as per the no-dimensional quantities.
It is denoted as PPM or mg/L (milligram per litre).
On the other hand, the short form of PPMV is parts per million volume. It is concentrated with gaseous substances. PPMV is used to calculate the amount of gaseous substance that is present in the atmosphere.
Also, sometimes, it is used to measure liquid substances as well, where one million parts per volume of a liquid element get dissolved in the air.
The expression of concentration is denoted as PPMV or mg/m³ (milligram per cubic meter).
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | PPM | PPMV |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | PPM is used to calculate the assemblage of pollutants present in the soil and sediments. | PPMV is used to calculate the assemblage of air pollutants present in the atmosphere. |
| Abbreviation Full Form | PPM stands for Parts Per Million. | PPMV stands for Parts Per Million Volume. |
| Concentration | PPM is concentrated with solid substances. | PPMV is concentrated with gaseous substances. |
| Suffix | PPM requires the suffix ‘w’ to denote the weight. That means PPMW stands for Parts Per Million Weight. | PPMV does not require any suffix, as it already explains on its own. |
| Convert | To convert PPM to PPMV, one needs to multiply the mass by the density of molecules. | To convert PPMV to PPM, one needs to divide the volume by the density of molecules. |
| Concentration’s Denotation | PPM is denoted as mg/L (milligram per liter). | PPMV is denoted as mg/m³ (milligram per cubic meter). |
What is PPM?
In the science and engineering courses, PPM is used to measure the pollutants in the soil and sediments. It is the value of measurement of weight by which the units of contamination are concluded.
The PPM is the short form of Parts Per Million. PPM is concentrated with solid substances, which are dissolved in solids and liquids. The chemical impurities and the traces of pollutants present in the soils.
Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering are the subjects that denote the concentration of PPM. PPM requires the suffix ‘w’ to denote the weight.
That means PPMW stands for Parts Per Million Weight, it is used to calculate the weight of the molecules. The PPM is used to do the calculations in research-based work.
To convert PPM to PPMV, one needs to multiply the mass by the density of molecules. PPM is denoted as mg/L (milligram per litre).
One example of PPM is the concentration of a drug addictive in animal feed, which is 12.5 ppm. Calculate the amount of drug that is required for preparing 5.2 kg of feed.
12.5 g (drug) ——–> 1,000,000 g (feed)
X ————-> 5200 g
X = 12.5 x 5200 divide by 1000000 = 0.065g
= 65mg
What is PPMV?
PPMV represents the calculation of the volume of the particles that are present in the air. These gaseous and harmful substances include carbon dioxide, sulphur, nitrogen, and other various pollutants in the air.
It is the abbreviation of the calculations of these substances. PPMV is the short form of Parts Per Million Volume. It represents the volume of the particles.
PPMV is concentrated with gaseous substances. Sometimes, PPMV also represents the parts per million volume in the dissolved liquids.
In numerical solutions, one has to be careful while dealing with both PPM and PPMV, as it leads to confusion. PPMV does not require any suffix, as it already explains on its own.
The letter v, which stands for volume, clearly explains that PPMV is all about the calculation of the volume of the particles. PPMV is denoted as mg/m³ (milligram per cubic meter).
To convert PPMV to PPM, one needs to divide the volume by the density of molecules.
Main Differences Between PPM and PPMV
- PPM is used to calculate the assemblage of pollutants present in the soil and sediments. On the other hand, PPMV is used to calculate the assemblage of air pollutants present in the atmosphere.
- PPM stands for Parts Per Million. On the other hand, PPMV stands for Parts Per Million Volume.
- PPM is concentrated with solid substances. On the other hand, PPMV is concentrated with gaseous substances.
- PPM requires the suffix ‘w’ to denote the weight. That means PPMW stands for Parts Per Million Weight. On the other hand, PPMV does not require any suffix, as it already explains on its own.
- To convert PPM to PPMV, one needs to multiply the mass by the density of molecules. On the other hand, to convert PPMV to PPM, one needs to divide the volume by the density of molecules.
- PPM is denoted as mg/L (milligram per litre). On the other hand, PPMV is denoted as mg/m³ (milligram per cubic meter).
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160515002470
- https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.1149625
Last Updated : 30 August, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The post gives a nuanced explanation on the subject. Quite enlightening.
The post does an excellent job explaining the differences between PPM and PPMV, great educational content!
Learning about scientific calculations has never been this engaging and clear, kudos to the author!
The post is very detailed and clear, an excellent resource for students and professionals alike
Absolutely, the detailed explanations are very helpful for anyone studying these concepts
The comparison table is great! Makes it very clear to differentiate between PPM and PPMV
This content will be especially useful for students studying science and engineering
This post is very informative, it provides useful information for a better understanding of these scientific calculations
This article was particularly enlightening, very helpful indeed.
I couldn’t agree more. This is the kind of scientific content we need!
The in-depth explanations provided are very beneficial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of PPM and PPMV