Turbidity is the measure of which property?

• A. True or False about turbidity
• B. A measure of water clarity and suspended solids content
• C. A measure of color
• D. A measure of odor

Answer: (B)

Turbidity is an optical measure of how clear water is, which depends on the amount of suspended particles in the water. More particles—tiny silt, clay, organic matter, or colloids—scatter and absorb light, making the water look cloudy. Because of that scattering effect, turbidity directly reflects water clarity and the suspended solids content. It is not about color (which comes from dissolved substances that give water its hue) or odor (which comes from volatile compounds and smells). In practice, turbidity is measured by shining light into a sample and detecting the scattered light, with results expressed in units like NTU. This makes turbidity a useful proxy for particulate loading and treatment performance.