What is pH?
Q: What is pH?
A: pH is a scale of acidity from 0 to 14 that measures the concentration of protons (H+) in a solution. It tells how acidic or alkaline a substance is, with more acidic solutions having lower pH and more alkaline solutions having higher pH. Neutral solutions usually have a pH of 7.
Q: Who introduced the concept of pH?
A: S.P.L. Sørensen introduced this concept in 1909.
Q: What does the "p" stand for in "pH"?
A: The "p" stands for the German word potenz, meaning power or concentration.
Q: How do you calculate pH?
A: The most common formula for calculating pH is to take the negative logarithm of 10 times the concentration of H+ ions (also written [H3O+], which indicates equal concentrations of hydronium ions) measured in moles per litre (or molarity). However, there is also an equation that takes into account activity instead of just concentration, which may provide different values than the more common formula depending on the situation.
Q: What range do most substances have on the pH scale?
A: Most substances have a pH between 0 and 14, although extremely acidic or alkaline substances may have a value outside this range (less than 0 or greater than 14).
Q: How are alkaline substances different from acidic ones on the pH scale? A: Alkaline substances have higher values on the scale due to their concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) instead of hydrogen ions like acids do.
