BUCKHORN CLIFFS

Water · Reference

Conversions and dosing: measure anything, even without tools

Volume, weight, and temperature conversions, dose-by-eye tricks for when there is no scale, solution strengths, the water treatment quick reference, and what ppm means.

Quick facts

1 tsp
5 mL
1 tbsp
15 mL
~20 drops
1 mL
US nickel
5 g
1 ppm
1 mg/L

Conversions for volume, weight, and temperature, plus dose-by-eye tricks for when you have no scale.

Volume, weight and temperature

Volume

1 teaspoon5 mL
1 tablespoon15 mL
1 fluid ounce30 mL
1 cup237 mL
1 pint473 mL
1 quart946 mL
1 gallon3.79 L

Weight

1 ounce28 g
1 pound454 g
1 pound16 oz
1 kilogram1,000 g
1 kilogram2.2 lb
1 gram1,000 mg
1 gram0.035 oz

Temperature

Freezing32°F = 0°C
Cool storage50°F = 10°C
Room / storage70°F = 21°C
Warm110°F = 43°C
Drying140°F = 60°C
Boiling212°F = 100°C

°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 · °F = °C × 9/5 + 32. Boiling is at sea level; water boils about 1°F lower per 500 ft of elevation.

Weigh and dose by eye

Field weights, no scale needed

1/16 tspA pinch2.3 gUS dime2.5 gUS penny5 gUS nickel5.7 gUS quarter6 g1 tsp salt4.6 g1 tsp baking soda4 g1 tsp cal-hypo12.5 g1 tbsp sugar18 g1 tbsp salt14 g1 tbsp baking soda237 g1 cup water

Counting drops

1 mL~20 drops1 tsp~100 dropsabout ¼ mL5 drops

Handy for iodine and other drop-dosed water treatments.

Mixing and solution strength

Match a target strength to a real amount, then dilute into water. Always add the powder or acid to the water, never the reverse, since doing it backward can splash, boil, or release heat.

Strength, ppm and grams

1%10 g/L · 10,000 ppm
0.1%1 g/L · 1,000 ppm
0.01%0.1 g/L · 100 ppm
1 ppm1 mg per liter
Per gallonliter amount × 3.79

Dilutions, per gallon of water

1:1012.8 fl oz
1:505 tbsp
1:1002.5 tbsp
1:2004 tsp
1:10003/4 tsp

Water treatment quick reference

Calcium hypochloriteStock: 1½ level tsp (about 6 g) per gallon, which is ~1,000 ppm and too strong to drink. Treat clear water with 1 tbsp stock per gallon (2 tbsp for cloudy or cold) and wait 30 min, 60 for cloudy, for a ~2 to 4 ppm residual (safe up to the 4 ppm drinking limit). A faint chlorine smell at the end confirms it worked; if there is none, add another tablespoon and wait again. Full method: Recipe 5.2.
Lugol's iodine 2%Clear water: 5 drops per quart (20 per gallon); cloudy or cold: 10 drops per quart (40 per gallon). Wait 30 min, 60 if cold or cloudy. Iodine kills bacteria and viruses but not Cryptosporidium, so pre-filter murky water first. Short-term use only; skip it if pregnant or with thyroid trouble. Full method: Recipe 6.3.
Potassium permanganateFor iron, manganese, and rotten-egg odor, not disinfection. Dissolve a weak stock and stir it in until the water holds the faintest lasting pink, let it oxidize and settle, then filter through cloth and activated carbon until the water is completely colorless. Leftover pink is toxic, and it does not kill germs, so still boil or chlorinate. For skin soaks, use a pale-pink 1:10,000 solution. It stains, so handle with care.
Better-tasting waterAfter the full contact time, stir in a pinch of baking soda (about 1/16 tsp per quart, or 1/4 tsp per gallon) or a pinch of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per quart to cut the metallic or chlorine taste. Ascorbic acid also neutralizes leftover chlorine. Add only once disinfection is done.

Parts per million (ppm)

Parts per million measures a tiny concentration: one ppm is one part of a compound for every million parts of water, or about 1 milligram per liter, roughly one drop in 13 gallons. For chlorine, the number tells you how much disinfecting power is left in the water: too low and germs survive, too high and it tastes like a swimming pool.

2 to 4Drinking (ppm)
5 to 10Shock water (ppm)
100 to 200Cistern (ppm)
~1,000Surfaces (ppm)
1101001,000 ppm 2 to 45 to 10100 to 200~1,000 DrinkingShock waterCisternSurfaces
Chlorine strength on a log scale. Each step to the right is ten times stronger.
Dirty water eats chlorineOrganics and sediment use up chlorine before it can disinfect, so cloudy or suspect water needs a higher starting dose.
The smell is your gaugeA faint chlorine smell after the wait means residual is still protecting the water. No smell means it was used up: add more and wait again.
Strength trades for timeA higher ppm works faster; a lower ppm needs a longer contact time. When unsure, wait longer rather than adding more.

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

How many drops are in a teaspoon?

About 100 drops make 1 teaspoon, since roughly 20 drops equal 1 mL and a teaspoon is 5 mL. For small doses, 5 drops is about ¼ mL, which is handy for iodine and other drop-dosed water treatments.

How do I measure grams without a scale?

Use coins and spoons as known weights. A dime weighs 2.3 g, a penny 2.5 g, a nickel 5 g, and a quarter 5.7 g. A teaspoon of salt is 6 g, a teaspoon of baking soda 4.6 g, a tablespoon of sugar 12.5 g, and a cup of water 237 g.

What does ppm mean?

Parts per million: one part of a compound for every million parts of water, about 1 milligram per liter, or roughly one drop in 13 gallons. For chlorine it shows how much disinfecting power is left, with 2 to 4 ppm the range for drinking water.

How much is 1:100 dilution per gallon?

A 1:100 dilution is 2.5 tablespoons per gallon of water. For comparison, 1:50 is 5 tbsp, 1:200 is 4 tsp, and 1:1000 is 3/4 tsp per gallon.

Keep going

Read nextWater: Storage and PurificationStore one gallon per person per day, half for drinking and half for hygiene, and aim for at least a two-week supply at home. When stored water runs low, know how to make more safe to drink.Water · Guide

Related to this

Water · Formula Purify water with calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) Stock: ~1,000 ppm; Dose: 1 tbsp stock / gal; Wait: 30 minutes Hazardous Water · Formula Purify water with Lugol's iodine (2%) Clear water: 5 drops / quart; Cloudy/cold: 10 drops / quart; Per gallon: 20-40 drops Handle with care Tools and Repair · Reference Tools and equipment: what to gather, and what each is for A plain-language guide to the 36 everyday tools the recipes call for, with the safety gear marked. Water · Formula Iron, Manganese, and Odor Removal from Water The rust stains, black grit, and rotten-egg smell in well or stored water come from dissolved iron, manganese, and sulfur, and potassium permanganate is the classic fix: it turns them into solid particles you then filter out. Hazardous
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Water · ReferenceSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Appendix C, p. 200 · Last reviewed 2026-09-20

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