pH is a logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. It is defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration.
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The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, where 7 is neutral, values less than 7 are acidic, and values greater than 7 are basic.
The formula for calculating pH is $pH = -\log[H^+]$, where $[H^+]$ is the molar concentration of hydrogen ions.
A change of one unit on the pH scale represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration.
pOH is related to pH by the equation $pH + pOH = 14$ at standard conditions (25°C).
Logarithmic properties such as $\log(ab) = \log(a) + \log(b)$ and $\log(a^b) = b\log(a)$ can be applied when solving pH-related problems.
Review Questions
What does a pH value indicate about a solution?
How do you calculate the pH if given the hydrogen ion concentration?
Explain how logarithmic properties can be used in solving pH problems.
Related terms
Logarithm: The exponent by which a base number must be raised to produce a given number. Commonly used bases are 10 (common logarithm) and e (natural logarithm).
Exponential Function: A mathematical function in which an independent variable appears in the exponent. It has the form $f(x) = a \cdot b^x$, where $b$ is a positive real number.
$\text{Hydrogen Ion Concentration}$: $[H^+]$ represents the molarity of hydrogen ions in a solution, crucial for calculating pH.