EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that an increase or decrease of an integer value changes the concentration by a tenfold. For example, a pH of 3 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 4. Likewise, a pH of 3 is one hundred times more acidic than a pH of 5. Similarly a pH of 11 is ten times more basic than a pH of 10.

Detailed explanation-2: -Lower pH number means stronger acid, higher pH number means stronger base. It can be a little confusing, but the lower the pH of a substance is, the stronger of an acid it is.

Detailed explanation-3: -Anything below 7.0 is acidic, and anything above 7.0 is alkaline, or basic. pH scale, ranging from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic/alkaline) and listing the pH values of common substances. Image modified from “Water: Figure 7, ” by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0.

Detailed explanation-4: -In general, a small pH value describes a solution that is acidic, and a larger pH value describing solutions that are less acidic (more basic). The pH scale is centered on 7-meaning that a solution with a pH of 7 is perfectly neutral (neither acidic nor basic).

Detailed explanation-5: -As pH increases, the concentration of free protons drops further and further. Physically, we would carry out this change by adding a base such as hydroxide ion to consume the free protons.