April 28, 2024, 04:59:49 PM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Negative value in pH meter  (Read 6432 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline aqhl

  • Regular Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 9
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-2
  • Gender: Male
Negative value in pH meter
« on: October 24, 2006, 04:00:25 AM »
I have a small question. Why and when pH meters display negative value ?

Offline sdekivit

  • Chemist
  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 403
  • Mole Snacks: +32/-3
  • Gender: Male
  • B.Sc Biomedical Sciences, Utrecht University
Re: Negative value in pH meter
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2006, 04:43:34 AM »
pH = -log [H+], so when will the pH-meter give a negative value ?

Offline Borek

  • Mr. pH
  • Administrator
  • Deity Member
  • *
  • Posts: 27665
  • Mole Snacks: +1801/-410
  • Gender: Male
  • I am known to be occasionally wrong.
    • Chembuddy
Re: Negative value in pH meter
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2006, 04:47:38 AM »
Calculate [H+] for pH = -0.1 - that's your answer.

Just remember that reality is much more complicated, as pH is not based on concentration, but on ion activity, which - in concentrated solutions - can be very different from concentration. Thus it is not easy to observe negative pH values, and even more difficult to measure them reliably, as pH electrodes are usually outside of their working range.

sdekivit was faster, but I am posting anyway ;)
ChemBuddy chemical calculators - stoichiometry, pH, concentration, buffer preparation, titrations.info

Sponsored Links