Introduction and the

Applications of pH

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Introduction to pH
 =hat is pH?

ï pH is a unit of measurement to show the degree of

acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a
scale of 0 to 14
 Yrigins of pH

ï The term pH is made up of two characters, ³p´ & ³H´

ï ³p´ is the mathematical symbol of the negative
logarithm
ï ³H´ is the chemical symbol of Hydrogen
ï Thus the formal definition of pH is the negative
logarithm of the Hydrogen ion activity
ï Equation of pH = -log[H+]
 pH Measurement

ï A rough measurement of pH can be obtained using pH papers or indicators, which

changes colour as the pH level varies
ï These indicators have limitations on their accuracy
ï Some of these indicators include: universal indicator, methyl orange,
phenolphthalein, litmus paper
ï More accurate pH measurements can be obtained with a pH meter
ï A pH measurement system consists of three parts: a pH measuring electrode, a
reference electrode, and a high input impedance meter
ï The pH electrode can be thought of as a battery, with a voltage that varies with the
pH of the measured solution
ï The pH measuring electrode is a hydrogen ion sensitive glass bulb, with a millivolt
output that varies with the changes in the relative hydrogen ion concentration inside
and outside of the bulb
ï The reference electrode output does not vary with the activity of the hydrogen ion
ï The pH electrode has very high internal resistance, making the voltage change with
pH difficult to measure
ï The pH meter is basically a high impedance amplifier that accurately measures the
minute electrode voltages and displays the results directly in pH units on either an
analog or digital display
Applications of pH
 mody pH Test (salivary)

ï pH could be used in testing for your salivary pH

ï A pH indicator (in most cases, pH paper)

ï A healthy pH for your saliva would be above 7.0

 mody pH Test (urinary)

ï pH could also be used for testing for your urinary pH

ï The pH of the urine indicates how the body is
working to maintain the proper pH of the blood and
also indicates the efforts of the body via the kidneys,
adrenals, lungs and gonads to regulate body pH
balance through the buffer salts and hormones.
ï The urine reveals the alkaline building (anabolic)
and acid tearing down (catabolic) cycles
ï pH paper is also used for testing
ï The ideal range of urinary pH is 6.5-7.0+
 Soil pH Test

ï The pH of the soil is very important in sustaining the life and

growth of vegetation
ï Some crops have a preference for either alkaline or acidic soil,
affecting the harvest
ï The pH will also affect the availability of nutrients in the soil
and there may be some diseases which thrives in a particular
pH range
ï Thus the first step in preparing soil is to test the pH
ï Typically, when the pH level of soil is too low (acidic), lime
will be added as it is alkaline, thus neutralizing the soil.
ï If the pH is too high (alkaline), sulfur is added to the soil as it
is acidic, thus neutralizing the soil
 Swimming Pool pH Test

ï Maintaining appropriate pH levels in swimming

pools will ensure that the pool is safe and sanitary
ï An acidic pool can deteriorate the pool surfaces and
the surfaces of pool equipment and can also burn the
swimmers' eyes, thus endangering swimmers
ï An alkaline pool can result in calcification and can
prevent the antibacterial properties of the chlorine
(this is because chlorine is acidic, thus it will be
neutralized due to the alkaline waters of the pool),
thus making the pool not sanitary
 pH in daily life

How does this relate to

the application of pH?

1. =aking up in the morning 2. mrushing teeth

Toothpaste is mildly alkaline in nature. It has a pH of 8.0 to 9.0.

It is alkaline in nature as the plaque in the mouth produces plaque
acids and will corrode the teeth. Thus the alkaline toothpaste will
neutralize the acid and prevent tooth decay.
 pH used in Food Preservation

ï Lye (or sodium hydroxide) is used in food preservation

ï Make the food too alkaline for bacteria to grow
ï Lye will also saponify (a chemical process where soap is
formed from fatty acids derivatives) fats in the food, which
will change the texture and flavour
ï Lye is used in various foods we see today for example, olive
recipes and my personal favourite: century eggs
 pH used in Food Preservation (cont¶d)

ï Most microorganisms grow best at a pH of around 7

and can't grow in an acidic environment
ï Thus adding an acid like vinegar or citric acid (or in
most cases, vitamin C) will increase the acidity and
limit bacterial and fungal growth
 Conclusion

pH is a wonderful measurement that is crucial in our

lives. =ithout pH we will not be able to prevent
tooth decay. Neither will we be able to use our
swimming pools or will we be able to properly farm,
and some of our wonderful preserved food will also
disappear. Thus I feel that pH is indeed very useful
and learning about it will benefit one greatly.
 Thank You!

ï mibliography:
ï http://www.ionizers.org/ph-balance.html
ï http://www.ehow.com/list_6039108_practical-
uses-ph-testing.html
ï http://faculty.ccri.edu/aahughes/GenChemII/Lab%
20Experiments/pH_Measurement_and_Uses.pdf
ï http://www.omega.com/techref/ph.html
ï http://faculty.sxu.edu/~fast/bio101_lab/preservatio
n.htm