Parts per billion are smaller than parts per million.
True
False
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer: True
Explanation:
Parts per billion (ppb) and parts per million (ppm) are units used to measure very small concentrations of substances, often in environmental science, chemistry, and medicine. To understand why ppb is smaller than ppm, let’s break it down mathematically:
- 1 part per million (ppm) means 1 part of a substance in 1,000,000 (10⁶) parts of the total mixture.
- 1 part per billion (ppb) means 1 part of a substance in 1,000,000,000 (10⁹) parts of the total mixture.
This means that:
- 1 ppm = 1,000 ppb
- 1 ppb = 0.001 ppm
Thus, a ppb measurement represents a much smaller quantity than a ppm measurement.
Example for Clarity:
Imagine you have a swimming pool containing 1 million liters of water. If you add 1 liter of a chemical to it, that is 1 ppm concentration. If you instead add 1 milliliter of the chemical (which is 1,000 times smaller than 1 liter), the concentration would be 1 ppb.
Real-World Application:
- In environmental regulations, pollutants like lead in water are often measured in ppb because even extremely small amounts can be harmful.
- In pharmaceuticals, drug impurities are sometimes measured in ppb to ensure safety.
Conclusion:
Since 1 ppb represents a concentration 1,000 times smaller than 1 ppm, the statement “Parts per billion are smaller than parts per million” is true.