pH
Definition
pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Substances with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and those with a pH greater than 7 are basic (or alkaline).
Analogy
Imagine going on a see-saw. When the see-saw is balanced in the middle, it's like having a neutral pH of 7. If one side goes down (like when you have more hydrogen ions), it becomes more acidic and represents lower pH values. If the other side goes up (less hydrogen ions), it becomes more basic and represents higher pH values.
Related terms
Acidic Solution: A solution with a pH less than 7; has more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions.
Basic Solution (Alkaline): A solution with a pH greater than 7; has fewer hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions.
Neutral Solution: A solution where the concentration of H+ ions equals OH- ions; has equal amounts of both types of ions and a pH of 7.
"pH" appears in:
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Practice Questions (2)
- Enzymes operate their best at optimal environmental conditions specific for the type of enzyme. Pepsin, an enzyme found in the stomach most likely operates best at a pH of:
- Changes in pH, or a concentration of hydrogen ions, will denature all of the following levels of protein structure except:
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