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pH, pOH, and the pH scale

Definitions of pH, pOH, and the pH scale. Calculating the pH of a strong acid or base solution. The relationship between acid strength and the pH of a solution. 

Key points

  • We can convert between [H+] and pH using the following equations:
pH=log[H+][H+]=10pH
  • We can convert between [OH] and pOH using the following equations:
pOH=log[OH][OH]=10pOH
  • For any aqueous solution at 25C:
pH+pOH=14.
  • For every factor of 10 increase in concentration of [H+], pH will decrease by 1 unit, and vice versa.
  • Both acid strength and concentration determine [H+] and pH.

Introduction

In aqueous solution, an acid is defined as any species that increases the concentration of H+(aq), while a base increases the concentration of OH(aq). Typical concentrations of these ions in solution can be very small, and they also span a wide range.
Purple-blue hydrangeas next to pinkish purple hydrangeas.
The color of hydrangea flowers can vary depending on the pH of the soil. Blue flowers usually come from acidic soil with a pH less than 6, and pink flowers come from soil with a pH above 6. Photo from WIkimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
For example, a sample of pure water at 25C contains 1.0×107 M of H+ and OH. In comparison, the concentration of H+ in stomach acid can be up to approximately 1.0×101M. That means [H+] for stomach acid is approximately 6 orders of magnitude larger than in pure water!
To avoid dealing with such hairy numbers, scientists convert these concentrations to pH or pOH values. Let's look at the definitions of pH and pOH.

Definitions of pH and pOH

Relating [H+] and pH

The pH for an aqueous solution is calculated from [H+] using the following equation:
pH=log[H+](Eq. 1a)
The lowercase p indicates log10". You will often see people leave off the base 10 part as an abbreviation.
For example, if we have a solution with [H+]=1×105 M, then we can calculate the pH using Eq. 1a:
pH=log(1×105)=5.0
Given the pH of a solution, we can also find [H+]:
[H+]=10pH(Eq. 1b)

Relating [OH] and pOH

The pOH for an aqueous solution is defined in the same way for [OH]:
pOH=log[OH] (Eq. 2a)
For example, if we have a solution with [OH]=1×1012 M, then we can calculate pOH using Eq. 2a:
pOH=log(1×1012)=12.0
Given the pOH of a solution, we can also find [OH]:
10pOH=[OH](Eq. 2b)

Relating pH and pOH

Based on equilibrium concentrations of H+ and OH in water, the following relationship is true for any aqueous solution at 25C:
pH+pOH=14  (Eq. 3)
This relationship can be used to convert between pH and pOH. In combination with Eq. 1a/b and Eq. 2a/b, we can always relate pOH and/or pH to [OH] and [H+]. For a derivation of this equation, check out the article on the autoionization of water.

Example 1: Calculating the pH of a strong base solution

If we use 1.0 mmol of NaOH to make 1.0 L of an aqueous solution at 25C, what is the pH of this solution?
We can find the pH of our NaOH solution by using the relationship between [OH], pH, and pOH. Let's go through the calculation step-by-step.

Step 1. Calculate the molar concentration of NaOH

Molar concentration is equal to moles of solute per liter of solution:
Molar concentration=mol soluteL solution
To calculate the molar concentration of NaOH, we can use the known values for the moles of NaOH and the volume of solution:
[NaOH]=1.0 mmol NaOH1.0 L=1.0×103 mol NaOH1.0 L=1.0×103 M NaOH
The concentration of NaOH in the solution is 1.0×103 M.

Step 2: Calculate [OH] based on the dissociation of NaOH

Because NaOH is a strong base, it dissociates completely into its constituent ions in aqueous solution:
NaOH(aq)Na+(aq)+OH(aq)
This balanced equation tells us that every mole of NaOH produces one mole of OH in aqueous solution. Therefore, we have the following relationship between [NaOH] and [OH]:
[NaOH]=[OH]=1.0×103 M

Step 3: Calculate pOH from [OH] using Eq. 2a

Now that we know the concentration of OH, we can calculate pOH using Eq. 2a:
pOH=log[OH]=log(1.0×103)=3.00
The pOH of our solution is 3.00.

Step 4: Calculate pH from pOH using Eq. 3

We can calculate pH from pOH using Eq. 3. Rearranging to solve for our unknown, pH:
pH=14pOH
We can substitute the value of pOH we found in Step 3 to find the pH:
pH=143.00=11.00
Therefore, the pH of our NaOH solution is 11.00.

The pH scale: Acidic, basic, and neutral solutions

Converting [H+] to pH is a convenient way to gauge the relative acidity or basicity of a solution. The pH scale allows us to easily rank different substances by their pH value.
The pH scale is a negative logarithmic scale. The logarithmic part means that pH changes by 1 unit for every factor of 10 change in concentration of H+. The negative sign in front of the log tells us that there is an inverse relationship between pH and [H+]: when pH increases, [H+] decreases, and vice versa.
The following image shows a pH scale labeled with pH values for some common household substances. These pH values are for solutions at 25C. Note that it is possible to have a negative pH value.
The pH scale from -1 to 14.
The pH scale. Acidic solutions have pH values less than 7, and basic solutions have pH values greater than 7. Image from UCDavis ChemWiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US.
Some important terminology to remember for aqueous solutions at 25C:
  • For a neutral solution, pH=7.
  • Acidic solutions have pH<7.
  • Basic solutions have pH>7.
The lower the pH value, the more acidic the solution and the higher the concentration of H+. The higher the pH value, the more basic the solution and the lower the concentration of H+. While we could also describe the acidity or basicity of a solution in terms of pOH, it is a little more common to use pH. Luckily, we can easily convert between pH and pOH values.
Concept check: Based on the pH scale given above, which solution is more acidicorange juice, or vinegar?

Example 2: Determining the pH of a diluted strong acid solution

We have 100 mL of a nitric acid solution with a pH of 4.0. We dilute the solution by adding water to get a total volume of 1.0 L.
What is the pH of the diluted solution?
There are multiple ways to solve this problem. We will go over two different methods.

Method 1. Use properties of the log scale

Recall that pH scale is a negative logarithmic scale. Therefore, if the concentration of H+ decreases by a single factor of 10, then the pH will increase by 1 unit.
Since the original volume, 100 mL, is one tenth the total volume after dilution, the concentration of H+ in solution has been reduced by a factor of 10. Therefore, the pH of the solution will increase 1 unit:
pH=original pH+1.0=4.0+1.0=5.0
Therefore, the pH of the diluted solution is 5.0.

Method 2. Use moles of H+ to calculate pH

Step 1: Calculate moles of H+

We can use the pH and volume of the original solution to calculate the moles of H+ in the solution.
moles H+=[H+]initial×volume=10pHM×volume=104.0M×0.100 L=1.0×105mol H+

Step 2: Calculate molarity of H+ after dilution

The molarity of the diluted solution can be calculated by using the moles of H+ from the original solution and the total volume after dilution.
[H+]final=mol H+L solution=1.0×105mol H+1.0L=1.0×105M

Step 3: Calculate pH from [H+]

Finally, we can use Eq. 1a to calculate pH:
pH=log[H+]=log(1.0×105)=5.0
Method 2 gives us the same answer as Method 1, hooray!
In general, Method 2 takes a few extra steps, but it can always be used to find changes in pH. Method 1 is a handy shortcut when changes in concentration occur as multiples of 10. Method 1 can also be used as a quick way to estimate pH changes.

Relationship between pH and acid strength

Based on the equation for pH, we know that pH is related to [H+]. However, it is important to remember that pH is not always directly related to acid strength.
The strength of an acid depends on the amount that the acid dissociates in solution: the stronger the acid, the higher [H+] at a given acid concentration. For example, a 1.0M solution of strong acid HCl will have a higher concentration of H+ than a 1.0M solution of weak acid HF. Thus, for two solutions of monoprotic acid at the same concentration, pH will be proportional to acid strength.
More generally though, both acid strength and concentration determine [H+]. Therefore, we can't always assume that the pH of a strong acid solution will be lower than the pH of a weak acid solution. The acid concentration matters too!

Summary

Hand holding wet pH paper with four stripes (from left to right): orange, green-brown, yellow, and red-orange. The paper is held up for comparison against a reference chart of pH values and colors. The wet paper matches the pH 7 on the reference.
Indicator paper can be used to measure the pH of aqueous solutions. The color of the indicator paper in this picture matches a pH value of 7. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
  • We can convert between [H+] and pH using the following equations:
pH=log[H+][H+]=10pH
  • We can convert between [OH] and pOH using the following equations:
pOH=log[OH][OH]=10pOH
  • For every factor of 10 increase in concentration of [H+], pH will decrease by 1 unit, and vice versa.
  • For any aqueous solution at 25C:
pH+pOH=14.
  • Both acid strength and concentration determine [H+] and pH.

Problem 1: Calculating the pH of a strong base solution at 25C

We make 200 mL of a solution with a 0.025 M concentration of Ca(OH)2. The solution is then diluted to 1.00 L by adding additional water.
What is the pH of the solution after dilution?
Choose 1 answer:

Want to join the conversation?

  • old spice man green style avatar for user Jonathan Ziesmer
    How does the temperature affect the pH and pOH?
    (37 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user Kaylee Wilson
    What does M stand for in the unit labels?
    (15 votes)
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  • leafers seed style avatar for user Amit Mukherjee
    Could someone explain the difference between acid strength and concentration? According to me, a strong acid will fully ionise in water compared to a weak acid which will partially ionise. Therefore a strong acid will contribute more H+ ions than a weak acid. Therefore, the pH of a strong acid solution will be higher than a weak acid solution.

    Is this correct?
    (8 votes)
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    • old spice man green style avatar for user Matt B
      Nice question!! It is important that you don't confuse the words strong and weak with the terms concentrated and dilute. At the same concentration, a weak acid will be less acidic than a strong acid. However, if you have highly concentrated weak acid (almost pure) and compare this to a very diluted strong acid (like 1 drop of HCl in a swimming pool) then the pH of the weak acid will be much more acidic than that of the strong acid.
      (25 votes)
  • male robot hal style avatar for user SRIVATHSAN B
    Can someone please explain what are monoprotic and diprotic acids? Thanks.
    (13 votes)
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  • leaf green style avatar for user areebaali160
    how can we solve pH,pOH numericals without using scientific calculator during our examination?
    (8 votes)
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    • old spice man green style avatar for user Matt B
      Unless you are using perfect numbers of base ten (e.g. 10^-7, 10^-2, etc.) there is no way to do it because you cannot easily do logarithms. If you are asked to do these calculations without a calculator, there is a good chance minimal if any extensive calculations are required.

      Example: log(10^-6) = -6
      (7 votes)
  • ohnoes default style avatar for user apuri
    How can NaOH have a pH scale? How can a base add H+ ions to the solution? It adds OH- ions right?
    (5 votes)
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    • spunky sam blue style avatar for user Ernest Zinck
      NaOH does not have a pH, but an aqueous solution of NaOH does.
      Water contains both H⁺ and OH⁻ ions.
      Adding NaOH increases the concentration of OH⁻ ions and decreases the concentration of H⁺ ions.
      But there are always some H⁺ ions present, so aqueous NaOH solutions have a pH, usually between 7 and 14.
      (11 votes)
  • female robot grace style avatar for user Michelle
    How does pH+pOH= 14? Where does the random number come in?
    (3 votes)
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  • duskpin tree style avatar for user m pe
    Hi
    I feel like there's a step missing.I'm not sure why the pH as an exponent is negative & where the minus sign comes from.I understand that the logarithm (of base 10) was changed to an exponent.What is this law of logarithms called?
    pH= -log (H+)
    10^-pH = (H+)

    Also I was trying to figure it out with numbers pH=-(log 10^-4)
    and I got 10^-pH =10^-4 and I'm not sure where to go from there to obtain the pH.Do I just cancel out the 10s & minuses that are on both sides to get a pH of 4,to cross off these I have to divide/multiply both sides by some number(s) would these numbers be 10 and multiplying the exponents by -1 to get rid of the minuses because the pH scale is usually positive numbers?
    Thanks!
    (3 votes)
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    • piceratops seed style avatar for user RogerP
      This is the power rule of logs. When you have a number in front of a log term, this is the same as raising the log term to that number. For example, 4log(3) is the same as log(3^4).

      With pH, the number in front of the log is -1 (because pH = -log [H+]). Therefore, using the power rule, we can re-express this as pH = log ([H+]^-1).

      Using another log rule, we can express each side of this equation as an exponent of 10 and we get:

      10^pH = 10^log ([H+]^-1).

      Using a definition of logs, the right hand side of this equation now just becomes [H+]^-1. So we have:

      10^pH = [H+]^-1

      The right hand side can be expressed as 1/[H+] giving us:

      10^pH = 1/[H+]

      Multiplying each side by [H+] and dividing each side by 10^pH gives:

      [H+] = 1/10^pH which is the same as saying [H+] = 10^-pH.

      As an example, if the pH is 7, then [H+] = 10^-7.
      (3 votes)
  • leafers tree style avatar for user Nicolas Jaramillo
    what is -log? is it a number?
    (2 votes)
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  • piceratops seedling style avatar for user Aditya Shelke
    Is it necessary that to calculate pH or pOH of a substance, we need to have the substance in aqueous physical state? What if the substance is already in aqueous state?
    Is it possible to find the pH or pOH of a substance in solid physical state or even by melting it?

    Also, we always calculate the pH or pOH of a solid substance by dissolving it in water and find its pH or pOH according to the [H+] or [OH-] produced by it .Why we don't take in consideration the [H+] or [OH-] present in water and only take [H+] or [OH-]of the dissolved substance?

    Thankyou :)
    (3 votes)
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    • spunky sam red style avatar for user Shlok Sanju
      Ok so while calculating the equilibrium constant for a reaction, we consider the active masses of substances involved in the reactants and products. Since the activity of pure solids and liquids is unity, adding them to the expression will make no difference and it is usually omitted.

      Hope this helps!
      (1 vote)