How to visualize one part per million.
"Parts per million" is a scientific unit of measurement that counts the number of units of one substance per one million units of another. But because it's hard to conceptualize really large numbers, it can be difficult to wrap our brains around what "one part per million" really means. Kim Preshoff (with help from 100+ animators from the TED-Ed Community) shares nine helpful ways to visualize it.
Answer the following questions:
Your friend gives you a card that states that you're "One in a million." After watching this lesson, how might your reaction to this sentiment change? Rewrite the card using the phrase "part per million" instead.
In reality, the concentration of parts per million is a very small concentration. Explain why is it important to understand this idea in regard to toxicology and pollution?
While humans find it hard to conceptualize extremely large numbers, putting things to scale or in relatable terms makes these numbers easier to conceptualize. Let's try scaling down one part per billion using information from this lesson. If one part per million is 1 second in 11.5 days, one part per billion will be one second in how many years? Show your thinking!
Record a 1 minute video recommending this pill.