What Is pH
Whether in life or in the laboratory, pH is a word that will not make people feel unfamiliar. So what is pH? This article will introduce pH, the pH value of some common solutions, and pH test paper. Details are in the following.
The pH
“pH” stands for “power of hydrogen”. It is said to be derived from the German word power “potenz”, followed by the hydrogen symbol H, forming the word pH. It is used to represent the concentration of hydrogen ions. However, in many cases, the solubility of hydrogen ions in the solution is very low, and it is not convenient to use the actual concentration value to indicate that the value is too small, so pH is used to express it.
pH represents the acidity or alkalinity of the sample, and it ranges from 0-14. Wherein 7 is neutral like a cut-off point, the aqueous solution with a pH value less than 7 is an acidic solution, and the aqueous solution with a pH value greater than 7 is an alkaline or basic solution. Not everything has a pH, the pH is only in aqueous solutions. Without water, there is no pH. There are many chemicals that do not have a pH, such as oils.
pH Values in Daily Life
It exists in many aspects of life and experiments. The determination of pH value in the laboratory is very important for some chemical reactions. Determining some pH value in life can help you to take action for making life more healthy.
Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid with a pH of 0 to 1. Pure water is neutral, with a normal pH of 7. Sulfuric acid is the most active inorganic strong acid, and the pH value of general sulfuric acid is between 0 and 3.
In the human body, the pH of blood remains between 7.35 and 7.45. The pH of the stomach remains between 4 and 5. And the stomach releases gastric acid, which lowers the pH to between 1 and 2 after eating. Human skin contains moisture, and it also has its own pH, and its normal value is between 4-6.
pH is used in chemistry, industry, and everyday life. It is used to test human body to judge health, determine food preservation and water quality, and detect chemical solutions. It is crucial in swimming pool maintenance, agriculture, medicine, biology, and other sciences.
The Test Paper
pH is widely used, so how do we measure pH value? This requires pH test paper, which is a very convenient testing tool. General pH measurements can be made with litmus paper or another pH paper known to change color around a specific pH. There are red, green, and blue indicators on the test paper, and they will change color according to certain rules in solutions of different pH values.
- When the test paper is used to test a solution, a clean straw or glass rod can be used to dip a sample into the middle of the test paper. Then observe the changed color and compare it with the standard color card to get the pH value of the sample.
pH test paper generally has a universal version, a health test version, and some determination versions.
- Universal pH test strips can test various things and have a wide range of applications. Its pH range is adequate and accuracy is optional.
- There are many options for this kind of test paper to meet various needs. For testing body fluids such as saliva, health pH test strips can be used.
- There are red litmus, blue litmus, neutral litmus, iodine powder or potassium iodide, lead acetate, pHenolpHthalein, Congo red of determination test paper.
After reading the above content, you should have a general understanding of pH. If you need to measure pH in real life, Hawach provides different types of pH test paper with high accuracy. Universal pH test strips, health pH test strips, and determination test paper are all available. Your consultation and order are welcome.
