Acids & Bases

pH & pOH
 Propertis of Acid
& Bases
An acid is a substance that increases the concentration of H+ ions in an
aqueous solution.

A base is a substance that decreases the concentration of H+ ions in an

aqueous solution.

Acids have a sour taste, turn blue litmus red, and react with metals,
carbonates, and bases.

Bases have a bitter taste, feel slippery, turn red litmus blue, and react
with metal salts, carbon dioxide, and acids.

Acids Defnition: Acids are substances that, when dissolved in water,

increase the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) or donate protons (H+).

Bases Definition: Bases are substances that, when dissolved in water,

increase the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) or accept protons (H+).
 p7
pow of
pH =

hydrogen
pH Definition: pH is a unitless
measure of the concentration of
hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution. It
represents the negative logarithm of
the H+ concentration:

PH -10910 T
-

=
+

Where [H+] is the molar

concentration of hydrogen ions.
- - - - - - - -
- - -

wo
• pH is a critical factor in many
biological and chemical
processes.

• pH is a measure of the acidity or

alkalinity of a solution.

• It plays a vital role in maintaining

the proper functioning of
enzymes in living organisms.
Acidic PH 7 • Many chemical reactions are
Basic (alkaline 8 P737
sensitive to pH and may only
occur within a specific pH range.
· PP
pOH Definition: pOH is similar to pH, but it relates to the
concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) in a solution. It's calculated
using the following formula:
pO7 -10910 O7f-
=

pH and pOH are inversely related.

• As pH increases, pOH decreases.

• Acids have low pH and high

рОН.

• Bases have high pH and low

рОН.

Relationship between pH and pOH: In aqueous solutions, pH and pOH are related
through the self-ionization of water:

H2O (l) <=> H3O+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

This equilibrium process establishes a relationship between H+ and OH-

concentrations, reflected in the formula:

pH + pOH = 14
 Relationship
• Acids and bases exhibit opposite chemical behavior. Acids
decrease the pH (increase H+, with a corresponding decrease in
pOH), while bases increase the pH (decrease H+, with a
corresponding increase in pOH).

• The self-ionization of water plays a crucial role. Water molecules

can undergo a reaction where they split into a small number of H+
and OH- ions:

H2O (l) <=> H3O+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

This equilibrium process establishes a baseline concentration of H+

and OH- in pure water, leading to a neutral pH of 7 and a pOH of 7.