nephelometer

scientific equipment

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

A nephelometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the cloudiness, or turbidity, of a liquid. This cloudiness is caused by suspended particles within the liquid. The nephelometer works by measuring how these particles affect light.1

There are two primary methods:
* Nephelometry: Measures the intensity of light that is scattered by the suspended particles.2
* Turbidimetry: Measures the intensity of light that is transmitted through the liquid.2

These measurements help determine the concentration and particle size of suspensions. Nephelometers are used in various applications, such as analyzing natural waters and processing streams, and even in determining sulfur content in materials like coal and oil.2

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Theodore William Richards
…the bottling device, and the nephelometer (an instrument for measuring turbidity). Although the atomic weight values of Jean Servais Stas had been regarded as standard, about 1903 physicochemical measurements showed that some were not accurate. Richards and his students revised these figures, lowering, for instance, Stas’s value for silver from…
Read More
…the bottling device, and the nephelometer (an instrument for measuring turbidity). Although the atomic weight values of Jean Servais Stas had been regarded as standard, about 1903 physicochemical measurements showed that some were not accurate. Richards and his students revised these figures, lowering, for instance, Stas’s value for silver from…
Read More