pH Chemistry

A pH scale is a tool for determining the concentrations of acids and bases. The scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being the lowest and 14 being the highest. Litmus paper is a test that determines if a substance is acidic or basic. The paper’s colour corresponds to the numbers on the pH scale, indicating the type of chemical being tested. Vinegar, for example, is an acid with a pH of 2.4 on the pH scale. 

Doctors and scientists generally agree that maintaining a good pH balance is important for overall health. The food and drink you ingest determine the pH level, or possible level of hydrogen, in your body. The concentration of hydrogen ions determines the pH. On a scale of 0 to 14, this computation is made. 

The pH scale is logarithmic, indicating the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution in inverse order. Because the pH formula approximates the molar concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution to the negative of the base 10 logarithms, this is the case. pH is defined as the negative of the H+ ion’s activity expressed in base 10 logarithms. The pH scale can be traced back to a set of standard solutions whose pH has been agreed upon internationally. Primary pH standard values are derived using a concentration cell with transference by calculating the potential difference between a hydrogen electrode and a standard electrode such as the silver chloride electrode. The pH of aqueous solutions can be measured with a glass electrode and a pH metre, or a colour-changing indicator.

Acids, bases, and salts have an impact on chemistry as well as our daily lives. Acids have a sour flavour (the word acid comes from the Latin word ‘acere’ which means ‘sour’), bases have a bitter taste, while salts themselves have a salty taste. Citric acid is found in fruits such as oranges and lemons, tartaric acid in tamarind, malic acid in apples, and lactic acid in milk and milk products, as well as hydrochloric acid in gastric fluids. Many bases, such as lime water, can also be found. 

Many of these acids are used in our daily lives, such as vinegar or acetic acid in the kitchen, boric acid in laundry, baking soda in cooking, washing soda in cleaning, and so on. Many acids and bases that we do not use in our daily lives are utilised in laboratories and industries, such as HCl, H₂SO₄, and NaOH, KOH, among others. The neutralisation process results in the creation of salt and water when these acids and bases are mixed in the proper quantities. NaCl and KCl, for example, are naturally occurring salts found in seawater and natural rock deposits.