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6.4 – The pH Scale. Unit 6 – Acids and Bases. What is pH?. pH is just another way to express [H + ], the hydrogen ion concentration of an acidic or basic solution.
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6.4 – The pH Scale Unit 6 – Acids and Bases
What is pH? • pH is just another way to express [H+], the hydrogen ion concentration of an acidic or basic solution. • Hydrogen acid concentrations are often small numbers, such as 1.3 × 10-3. pH is a method of transforming this number into something that is a little easier to work with. • In math class you may have learned about logarithms - log for short. We'll leave the definitions of logs to math and just work with how to find them here. • Get your calculators out. Different calculators work in slightly different ways, and it will be VERY IMPORTANT for you to know how to use yours when working with logs.
Logs – Using your Calculator • Example: Find the log of 1.0 ×105 • Enter the number 1.0 ×105 (don't forget to use the calculator's scientific notation feature!), then press the LOG key. Try that. You should get an answer of "5". • If you get a different answer, or an error, try pressing the LOG key before you enter the number 1 ×105. • Be sure you get the correct answer of 5 before continuing on. • Try the examples shown on the right. Again, be sure you are getting the correct answers - if not, try changing the order than you enter items into your calculator.
Logs & pH • pH is defined as the negative log of hydrogen ion concentration. pH = -log[H+] • Because hydrogen ion concentration is generally less than one (for example, 1.3 x 10-3), the log of the number will be a negative number. • To make pH even easier to work with, pH is defined as the negative log of [H+], which will give a positive value for pH.
pH & Your Calculator - Practice • Try the examples shown on the right. • Find the pH, given [H+]. • Answers are shown, but be sure you are able to arrive at that answer with your calculator! • Notice the last example. • 1.0 ×10-7 is the [H+] in pure water. • Pure water therefore has a pH of 7.
What do pH Values Mean? • By looking at the [H+] values in the table above, can you determine which solutions would be acidic, and which would be bases? • Number 1 and 4 are acids. In those, [H+] is greater than 1.0×10-7 • Numbers 2 and 3 are bases. In those solutions, [H+] is less than 1.0×10-7. • Working with negative powers of 10 is not easy for many of us, so some of you may be confused by trying to identify acids and bases based on [H+]. • But if we use pH values instead we find it much easier to identify acids and bases.
What do pH Values Mean? • Acids • pH < 7 • The lower the pH,the stronger the acid • Bases • pH > 7 • The higher the pH,the stronger the base • Neutral solutions • pH = 7
Examples of Calculating pH • 1. Calculate the pH of a 0.01M HNO3 solution. • 2. Find the pH of a 0.01 M solution of ammonia.
pOH • There is a way to simplify the last parts of this operation. In addition to pH, we can also define pOH: pOH = - log [OH-] • For bases, once we find [OH-] for a base, we can quickly determine pOH: • For example: • [OH-] =4.2 × 10-4 • pOH = -log [OH-] • = -log (4.2×10-4) • pOH= 3.4 answer
pH & pOH • Next we make use of the following easy-to-memorize relationship: pH + pOH = 14 • Does the number 14 ring a bell? • Remember Kw = 1.0 × 10-14. • The negative log of 1.0 × 10-14 = 14 • Once we find pOH, it is a simple matter to find pH: • pH + pOH = 14 • pH = 14 - pOH • = 14 - 3.4 • pH= 10.6
Finding [H+] when you know pH • Sometimes you need to work "backwards" - you know the pH of a solution and need to find [H+], or even the concentration of the acid solution. How do you do that? • To convert pH into [H+] involves taking the antilog of the negative value of pH . [H+] = antilog (-pH) • As mentioned above, different calculators work slightly differently - make sure you can do the following calculations using your calculator. Practice as we go along . . .
Finding [H+] when you know pH • Example 3. We have a solution with a pH = 8.3. What is [H+]? • With some calculators you will do things in the following order: • Enter 8.3 as a negative number (use the key with both the +/- signs, not the subtraction key) • Use your calculator's 2nd or Shift or INV (inverse) key to type in the symbol found above the LOG key. The shifted function should be 10x. • You should get the answer 5.0 × 10-9
Finding [H+] when you know pH • Example 3. We have a solution with a pH = 8.3. What is [H+]? • Other calculators require you to enter keys in the order they appear in the equation. • Use the Shift or second function to key in the 10x function. • Use the +/- key to type in a negative number, then type in 8.3 • You should get the answer 5.0 × 10-9 • If neither of these methods work, try rearranging the order in which you type in the keys. Don't give up - you must master your calculator!
Example 4. • Find the hydronium ion concentration in a solution with a pH of 12.6. Is this solution an acid or a base? How do you know?
Example 5. • A 0.24M solution of the weak acid, H2CO3, has a pH of 3.49. Determine Ka for H2CO3 (carbonic acid). *Assume only the first (or one) H+ ionizes.