# Determination of Cell constant

I read that cell constant is measured indirectly using a solution with known conductivity(like KCl). But then how was the conductivity of that solution measured? (Is it by some theoretical consideration or another accurate experiment?)

• The gist is that using a detailed procedure a chemist should be able to make the standard solution very reproducibly. – MaxW Jan 2 at 17:00
• That is not is question. His is more like a chicken and egg query. Which came first? – M. Farooq Jan 3 at 1:15
• The conductivity or the cell constant? – M. Farooq Jan 3 at 1:32

After Kohlrausch had developed his method of measuring the electrical conductance of solutions by means of an alternating current bridge, he undertook with the aid of Holborn and Diesselhorst’ the determination of the specific conductance of seven standard reference solutions in absolute units in order that the results might be available to himself and to other experimenters for the calibration of conductance cells. For this purpose they used two cells whose cross sectional areas, a, and length, l, were determined mechanically. The cell constant, l/a, could then be computed in absolute units (cm$$^{-1}$$) from the measured dimensions.