Introduction:
pH stands for the potential of hydrogen and it is a measurement of how acidic or basic a solution is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. A solution with a pH less than 7 is considered acidic, and a solution with a pH greater than 7 is considered basic or alkaline.
The pH of a solution is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH-) in the solution. Pure water has a pH of 7 because it has equal concentrations of hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions. Acids have a higher concentration of hydrogen ions than hydroxyl ions, and bases have a higher concentration of hydroxyl ions than hydrogen ions.
The pH of a solution is important in many chemical reactions. For example, the pH of the soil can affect the availability of nutrients for plants. The pH of blood is also important and is tightly regulated by the body.