What is pH?
pH, which stands for potential hydrogen, is a measurement of the hydrogen concentration of a solution, soil, or any other aqueous substance, which can determine its acidity or alkalinity. It is expressed numerically as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen (H+) ion activity in a given solution.
The number of hydrogen ions determine whether a substance is acidic, basic (alkaline), or neutral. All acids have a pH less than 7 while all bases (alkaline) have a pH more than 7. A neutral substance would have an exact pH of 7.
The pH Scale
The pH scale is logarithmic, which means each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher level. For pH values above 7, each whole value is ten times more basic than the next lower value.
pH Balance
The body will always strive towards a balanced pH, especially with the blood, to keep the body healthy and away from a spiraled disease.How to Measure pH
Potentiometric Method
A pH electrode is a potentiometric or electrochemical sensor that has a voltage output and has two electrochemical cells/electrodes: the glass electrode (sometimes called the measuring electrode) and the reference electrode. The electric potential created between the glass electrode, and the reference electrode is is measured with a pH meter, which converts the measured potential to a display of pH.Visual Method
A sensitive pH indicator is placed in the solution and the indicator will change colour based on the pH level. To get the pH value, compare the colour to the chart that comes with the indicator (which is often the universal indicator chart). The accuracy of this method is low, but it gives a rough estimation of the pH level. pH indicators can be bought or made from cabbage, blueberries and rose petals. This blog will use homemade pH indicators. See how we made our indicator here.
Significance of pH
• It is a critical measurement in industries ranging from chemical processing, pulp and paper, food and beverage and biotechnology.• To test a chemical against a specification. To ensure product quality.
• To test a sample against a legal requirement.
• It is of outstanding importance in water and environmental analysis.
• Prevent damage to materials and humans.
