Science · 6 pages · 12 min
What the pH scale is actually counting
pH is a logarithmic count of hydrogen ions, and each whole step is a factor of ten.
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From the opening
The pH scale counts the activity of hydrogen ions, close to their concentration in ordinary dilute water, and it counts them logarithmically. One pH unit is a factor of ten in that activity, not one even step of sourness or of danger. The opening covers why each step is a factor of ten, what the neutral 7 is referring to, and why a weak acid can surprise you.
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Inside
- Why each step is a factor of ten
- What the neutral 7 is referring to
- Why a weak acid can surprise you
- How heat moves the neutral point
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Sorensen's pH as the logarithm of hydrogen-ion activity
- Neutral water near pH 7 from the ion product of water