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Abstract

An apparatus and method for measuring the permittivity of a polar solution specimen to enable a determination of the concentration of polar constituents in the specimen. The apparatus (10) employs a band pass filter including containment means (18) formed to contain the polar solution (26) therein and electrically dispose the polar solution (26) as a dielectric element in the band pass filter; conducting means (12); a source of electrical current (56) connected to said band pass filter; frequency variation means (52) electrically connected to the electric voltage source (56) to enable variation of the frequency at which current is applied to the band pass filter; and voltage sensing means (52) electrically connected to sense the peak voltage passed by the band pass filter. The method includes providing a band pass filter having a conducting microstrip (12), disposing a specimen solution (26) between the conducting microstrip (12) and the ground plane 18); applying an electric current to the band pass filter; varying the frequency of the current; and determining the center frequency of the band pass filter as the current is varied.

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