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The pH scale


The pH scale is a measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) a solution is.

It ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral.


A pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is basic.


It was devised in 1909 and it is a logarithmic index for the hydrogen ion concentration in an aqueous solution.

pH values decreases as hydrogen ion levels increases.


A solution with pH 4 is ten times more acidic than solution with pH 5, and a hundred times more acidic than solution with pH 6.

Whilst the pH range is usually given as 0 to 14, lower and higher values are theoretically possible.