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Topic ........................................................................................................................................2
PH Measurement.......................................................................................................................2
pH Electrode ........................................................................................................................... .2
Measurement of Electrode.........................................................................................................3
What is ph definition.............................................................................................3
Hydrogen-Electrode Method.................................................................................5
Quinhydron-Electrode Method..............................................................................5
Glass-Electrode Method.........................................................................................5
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Topic ;
PH Measurement
A very important measurement in many liquid chemical processes (industrial, pharmaceutical,
manufacturing, food production, etc.) is that of pH: the measurement of hydrogen ion concentration
in a liquid solution. A solution with a low pH value is called an “acid,” while one with a high pH is
called a “caustic.” The common pH scale extends from 0 (strong acid) to 14 (strong caustic), with 7
in the middle representing pure water (neutral
pH is defined as follows: the lower-case letter “p” in pH stands for the negative common (base ten)
logarithm, while the upper-case letter “H” stands for the element hydrogen. Thus, pH is a
logarithmic measurement of the number of moles of hydrogen ions (H+) per liter of
solution.Incidentally, the “p” prefix is also used with other types of chemical measurements where a
logarithmic scale is desired, pCO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and pO2 (Oxygen) being two such
examples.The logarithmic pH scale works like this: a solution with 10-12 moles of H+ ions per liter
has a pH of 12; a solution with 10-3 moles of H+ ions per liter has a pH of 3. While very
uncommon, there is such a thing as an acid with a pH measurement below 0 and a caustic with a pH
above 14.Such solutions, understandably, are quite concentrated and extremely reactive.
pH Electrode
While pH can be measured by color changes in certain chemical powders (the “litmus strip” is a
familiar example from high school chemistry classes), continuous process monitoring and control of
pH requires a more sophisticated approach. The most common approach is the use of a specially-
prepared electrode designed to allow hydrogen ions in the solution to migrate thorough selective
barrier, producing a measurable potential (voltage) difference proportional to the solution’s pH:
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The design and operational theory of pH electrodes is a very complex subject, explored only briefly
here. What is important to understand is that these two electrodes generate a voltage directly
proportional to the pH of the solution. At a pH of 7 (neutral), the electrodes will produce 0 volts
between them. At a low pH (acid) a voltage will be developed of one polarity, and at a high pH
(caustic) a voltage will be developed of the opposite polarity.
Measurement of Electrode
An unfortunate design constraint of pH electrodes is that one of them (called
the measurement electrode) must be constructed of special glass to create the ion-selective barrier
needed to screen out hydrogen ions from all the other ions floating around in the solution. This glass
is chemically doped with lithium ions, which is what makes it react electrochemically to hydrogen
ions. Of course, glass is not exactly what you would call a “conductor;” rather, it is an extremely
good insulator.This presents a major problem if our intent is to measure the voltage between the two
electrodes. The circuit path from one electrode contact, through the glass barrier, through the
solution, to the other electrode, and back through the other electrode’s contact, is one
of extremely high resistance.
What is ph definition?
“pH is defined as the negative logarithm of H+ ion concentration. Hence the meaning of the
A pH scale is a tool for measuring acids and bases. The scale ranges from 0-14. Litmus paper is
an indicator used to tell if a substance is an acid or a base.A solution with a pH less than 7 is
considered acidic; a solution with a pH greater than 7 is considered basic, or alkaline.
.
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1. Hydrogen-Electrode Method:
A hydrogen electrode is made by adding platinum black to platinum wire or a platinum plate. It is
immersed in the test solution and an electric charge is applied to the solution and the solution is
saturated with hydrogen gas. The electrode potential is measured between platinum black electrode
and silver chloride electrode. This potential is inversely proportional to pH of the solution
2. Quinhydron-Electrode Method
Note:
3. Glass-Electrode Method
The glass electrode method uses two electrodes, a glass electrode and reference electrode, to
determine the pH of a solution by measuring the voltage (potential) between them
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This method is the one most commonly used for pH measurement, since the potential quickly
reaches equilibrium and shows good reproducibility, and because the method can be used on
various types of solutions, with oxidizing or reducing substances having very little impact on the
result.
The glass electrode method is widely used, not only in industry but also in many other fields.