Scientific pH Scale Facts That Will Surely Make You Think
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The pH scale is used to measure how acidic or alkaline a substance is.
This scale ranges from 0-14, with seven being neutral. Substances with a pH below seven are acidic, and substances above seven are alkaline.
The lower the pH number, the more acidic the substance is. Today, we're going to take a look at some of the most interesting scientific facts about the pH scale.
Types Of pH Scales
There are different types of pH scales, and each one has a different use. There are liquid pH indicators for acidic and basic solutions, the pH meter, and the universal indicator, to name a few.
The pH scale is a way of measuring how acidic or alkaline something is. pH stands for 'potential of hydrogen'. Solutions with a low pH have lots of hydrogen ions (H+ ions) and are acidic. Solutions with a high pH have more hydroxyl ions (OH- ions) and are basic (alkaline).
Litmus paper is a pH indicator that is used to determine whether a solution is acidic or basic (alkaline). When dipped in an acidic solution, blue litmus turns red.
And if the solution has a pH above seven, red litmus turns blue as the solution is alkaline. If you dip red litmus in an acidic solution or blue litmus in a basic solution, there will be no color change as both the paper and liquid will have a similar pH.
However, litmus paper cannot determine exactly how strong an acid or base is.
For example, litmus paper can tell you that vinegar is an acid, but it doesn't indicate if vinegar is a strong or weak acid. This is where the universal indicator plays a significant role.
The universal indicator is a colored scale that ranges from 1-14, with zero (green) being the neutral point. A universal indicator changes color according to the hydrogen ion concentration in a chemical solution.
The color chart ranges from dark red, indicating low pH, to violet, indicating high pH. The exact pH of a substance can be determined by comparing the changed color of the universal indicator paper to the pH color chart.
Phenolphthalein is another pH indicator. It is a substance that turns pink in an alkaline solution and goes colorless in an acidic solution. Methyl orange is also a pH indicator used during titration.
In acid, it turns red, and in base, it turns yellow. Nowadays, scientists and industry experts use something called an electric pH meter. It utilizes electricity and two electrodes to obtain the most accurate measurement of a substance's pH level.
This pH is very important for the human body. The acid in your stomach helps digest food and kills bacteria, whereas your small intestine has a basic pH.
History Of pH Scales
The pH scale has been around for centuries, and its accurate measurement of acidity and alkalinity has made it one of the most important scales in science. Let's take a look at the history of pH scales.
The pH scale was first discovered in 1909 by the Danish scientist Soren Peter Lauritz Sorensen. Sorensen had a PhD from the University of Copenhagen and worked as Carlsberg Laboratory's chemical department director. The scientist studied how ion concentration affected proteins and subsequently became a pioneer in the field of thermodynamics and protein chemistry.
There were no accurate methods of determining the acidity or alkalinity of a substance before developing the pH scale. The arbitrary scale has now developed into various forms suited for different purposes.
Use Of pH Scale In Schools And Universities
The pH scale is used widely in schools and universities for a number of purposes. Schools mainly use it to complement the curriculum and universities for broader experimentation.
Universal indicator is one of the most widely used indicators of pH. It is preferred in school laboratories due to its easy availability and considerably negligent cost.
Students are made to use the universal indicator and the pH color scale to interpret and compare the pH of different chemical compounds. Phenolphthalein is used in schools during acid-base titrations.
This sensitive indicator produces varying colors at different pH levels. The pH meters are used at universities where detailed experiments require acute measurements, which are hard to obtain using liquid and paper indicators.
FAQs
What does pH stand for?
The letters pH stand for 'potential of hydrogen.'
What is acidic pH?
A pH below seven is an acidic pH.
What does pH represent?
The pH level represents the hydrogen ion concentration in a substance.
How is pH used to determine if a solution is acidic or basic?
Numbers below seven are acidic on the pH scale, and those above seven are basic.
Who discovered the pH scale?
Soren Peter Lauritz Sorensen discovered the pH scale.
What does a pH number tell you?
It tells you whether a substance is acidic, alkaline, or neutral.
Is pH the same as acidity?
No, pH is a scale of acidity (or basicity), whereas acidity is the amount of hydronium ions (H3O+) in a substance.
What is the neutral pH value?
A pH of seven is a neutral pH.
What is pH in biochemistry?
In biochemistry, pH values are used to determine the ion concentrations in substances like water.
Why is pH a relative measure?
The pH is generally considered an absolute measure, not relative.
How do numbers on the pH scale compare?
All values below pH seven are increasingly acidic, and all values above seven are increasingly basic.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy
Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy
With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.
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