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How does a pH meter work?

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by Aldo Bonincontro

•
The pH meter measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in an aqueous solution that are
responsible of its ACIDITY or ALKALINITY.
It's formed, in its simplest and most used version, by the so-called GLASS ELECTRODE, a tube
made by a special semi-porous glass containing an HCl solution with a known and constant
concentration (better named as ACTIVITY) of H+ and a silver (Ag) probe covered by AgCl
(silver chloride) immerged in it, to keep constant the H+ and Cl- activities in this solution.
Just few mm outside this glass tube, there's another Ag probe, equally immerged in the solution
to be measured for its H+ activity and linked with another .Ag/AgCl glass electrode that is the
reference, with a constant electric potential.
The porous glass of the electrode prevents the H+ ions to diffuse from both sides, but allows the
exchange of Na+ ions (contained in the silicates of the glass) with the external solution, for
keeping the continuity ot this electrical system.
The H+ activity difference between the solution inside the electrode and the external one is
measured as electric potential difference, then, converted in pH units (0-14) by the instrument.
This electrode is small, also few cm long, easy and fast to use and sensible (+/- 0.001 pH units)
and the relation between the potential measured and the H+ activity (a) is expressed by the
NERNST
EQUATION, very important in chemistry, where E is the electric potential (electrode/solution):
E = 0.059 log [a0(H+) / a1(H)]
where a0(H+) is the activity of H+ inside the electrode, constant and =1, while a1(H+) is the
unknown activity of the solution to be measured.
So, the formula becomes:
E = 0.059 [1 / a1(H+)]
but, following the definition of pH (pH = log 1 /a(H+) ),
this formula is simply
E = 0.059 pH then, pH = E / 0.059

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How does a pH meter work?

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by Aldo Bonincontro
The pH meter measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in an aqueous solution
that are responsible of its ACIDITY
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