DIN - whiteboard

• What is a conjugate acid-base pair?

• Can you put these substances in order of
acidity (from lowest to highest) and estimate
their pH?

ammonia solution milk bleach

coffee baking soda vinegar

blood seawater lemon juice

 DIN - Answers

• What is a conjugate acid-base pair?

• Can you put these substances in order of acidity and estimate
their pH value?

lemon juice vinegar pH 2

coffee 5
milk
blood 7.4
seawater 8
baking soda 9.5
ammonia solution 10.5-11.5
bleach 13
 The pH scale & strong acids
Lesson objectives
• Define pH in equation form and link it to [H+] concentration
• Calculate the pH of strong acids
• Calculate a pH change upon dilution
 pH and Søren Sørensen
We use Sørensen’s pH scale to convert H+ ion
concentrations [H+] to pH in using manageable easy
numbers from 1-14.
pH [H+]
0 100 = 1
1 10-1
2 10-2
3 10-3

A low value of [H+] means a high value of pH

A high value of [H+] means a low value of pH

 Laws of Logarithms & Exponents
• Logarithms come in the form logax.
• We say 'log to the base a of x’.
• This means, ‘what power of a gives x?’

Expression:
Logarithm Exponential
Loga x = y ay = x

e.g log636 => 62, because 62 =36

log636 = 2

Logs are the inverse of exponentials

a must always be positive and >1
 Laws of Logarithms
Applies to log calculations of the same base (a)
3 Main log rules
• Product rule: loga (XY) = loga X + loga Y

• Quotient rule: loga (X/Y) = loga X - logaY

IogaXY = Y Ioga X
• Power rule:
The logarithm of 1 to any base is always 0.
The logarithm of a number to the same base is always 1.
In particular, log10 10 = 1, and loge e = 1
 Common logs – ln(x) and log10

• Natural Logarithm loge(x) which is more commonly

written ln(x)

• Natural Exponential Function ex

ln(ex) = x
e(ln x) = x
e is an irrational number 2.718281828459…
-----------------------------------

• The common log, log10 or log (x), where the base = 10

 pH
pH is a logarithmic scale for measuring the [H +] in solution.
Allows us to manage very small [H +] values.

pH stands for ‘potential of hydrogen’

It is a measure of [H +] and so how acidic (or alkaline) a substance is

 How to measure pH

• Qualitatively – using
indicator paper/solution

• Quantitatively – using a pH
meter
 pH

Each increasing pH value is a magnitude of 10 smaller

The pH of a solution and [H+] are linked by the relationship:

pH = -log10[H+(aq)]

The [H+] can be determined from the inverse relationship:

[H+(aq)] = 10-pH

*Remember to check to see if the acid is dibasic etc.*

 Is acid strength the same as corrosivity?

Is HF a strong or weak acid?

Is acid strength and how corrosive an acid is the same thing?

A HF burn
 pH – logarithmic scale and equation

Check your understanding:

10 the conc of H+ ions as a solution with a pH of 3
A pH of 2 has ____x
100 the conc of H+ ions as a solution with a pH of 6
A pH of 4 has ____x
1000the conc of H+ ions as a solution with a pH of 8
A pH of 5 has ____x
1013 the conc of H+ ions as a solution with a pH of 14
A pH of 1 has ____x
 pH of strong acids
Strong acids completely dissociate, so the concentration of the acid
[HA] is equal to the concentration of [H+].

What is the pH of hydrochloric acid when 0.3 moles are added to

1500 cm3 of water?

1. Concentration of acid:
• [HA] = 0.3 mol ÷ = 0.2 mol dm-3
As [HA] = [H+] = 0.2 mol dm-3

2. pH value:
• pH = -log10[0.2 mol dm-3] = 0.70
 pH & Dilutions
Diluting an acid will decrease [H+], but as a change in pH is a magnitude
of 10, large dilutions are needed to alter pH.

10 cm3 of a pH 4.0 acid is diluted up to a volume of 200 cm 3. What is the

new pH?

Original [H+] conc = 10-4 = 1x10-4 mol dm-3

Dilution factor = 10 cm3 ÷ 200cm3 = 0.05

New [H+] conc = 1x10-4 x 0.05 = 5x10-6 mol dm-3

New pH = -log[5x10-6] = 5.3

 Notes

• These previous calculations are all for STRONG acids only.

• We will learn about how things differ in weak acids in the next topic when
a new term, Ka, will be introduced.

• pH values should be given to 2 dp unless otherwise stated.