What is electrical conductivity?

Electrical conductivity (σ) is the reciprocal of resistivity: σ = 1/ρ. Unit: S/m (siemens per metre). It is a material property: copper σ ≈ 5.96×10⁷ S/m; seawater σ ≈ 5 S/m; pure water σ ≈ 5.5×10⁻⁶ S/m. In water quality and geoscience, μS/cm is the standard reporting unit.

Why do water quality instruments use μS/cm?

Water conductivity spans 0.055 μS/cm (ultrapure) to about 50,000 μS/cm (seawater). The μS/cm scale gives convenient numbers for this range. Drinking water is typically 50–800 μS/cm. 1 μS/cm = 100 μS/m = 10⁻⁴ S/m.

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Electric Conductivity Converter

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From

Sig. figures:

Sci notation

Nanosiemens per metre

nS/m

1.00000e+9

Microsiemens per metre

μS/m

1.00000e+6

Millisiemens per metre

mS/m

1000

Siemens per metre

S/m

1(input)

Kilosiemens per metre

kS/m

0.001

Megasiemens per metre

MS/m

0.000001

Microsiemens per centimetre

μS/cm

10000

Millisiemens per centimetre

mS/cm

Siemens per centimetre

S/cm

0.01

Kilosiemens per centimetre

kS/cm

0.00001

Siemens per millimetre

S/mm

0.001

Millisiemens per millimetre

mS/mm

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Convert conductivity (σ = 1/ρ) across 12 units: SI per-metre (nS/m → MS/m), per-cm (μS/cm, mS/cm, S/cm, kS/cm), and per-mm. Reference: Cu 59.6 MS/m; seawater ≈ 5 S/m; drinking water 0.05–0.5 S/m; 1 μS/cm = 100 μS/m. Used in water quality and materials science. 100% browser-based.

How to Use

1Type a conductivity value (e.g. 1 for 1 S/m)
2Select your starting unit (e.g. S/m, mS/cm, μS/cm, MS/m)
3Select your target unit - the result appears instantly
4All 12 conversions appear across SI, Per cm, and Per mm groups
5Hover any row to copy or use as input; click ⇄ to swap
6Open 'Conductivity reference values' for metals, seawater, and drinking water

Features

12 conductivity units: nS/m → MS/m, μS/cm, mS/cm, S/cm, kS/cm, mS/mm, S/mm
Groups: SI (S/m), Per centimetre, Per millimetre
Reference: Cu, seawater, drinking water, deionized water
Adjustable significant figures and scientific notation toggle
One-click copy per result
100% browser-based

Electric Conductivity Converter

How to Use

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