pH - Introduction

Introduction

The numerical measurement of acidsA substance that when dissolved in water is capable of reacting with a base to form salts and release hydrogen ions. and basesA substance that when dissolved in water is capable of reacting with an acid to form salts and release hydrogen ions. in a solution is called pH(The abbreviation for potential hydrogen.) A measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution referring to the concentration of hydrogen ions present in a liter of a given fluid. (the abbreviation for potential hydrogen). Acids and bases are groups of chemicals. When dissolved in water, all acids release hydrogen atoms with a positive electric charge (H+). These atoms are known as hydrogen ionsAn atom or group of atoms that carry an electrical charge—either positive or negative—as a result of losing or gaining one or more electrons.. The term pH means the strength of the hydrogen ions. The p is derived from the Danish word potenz meaning strength; H is the symbol for hydrogen. When dissolved in water, bases produce negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH–). When mixed together in the right proportions, acids and bases neutralizeA chemical reaction in which the mixing of an acidic solution with a basic (alkaline) solution results in a solution that has the properties of neither an acid nor a base. each other and form a water and a salt.

In 1909, Danish scientist Soren Peter Lauritz Sorensen, whose wife Margarethe Hoyrup Sorensen assisted him in much of his work, developed the concept of pH for determining hydrogen ion concentration.