It is important to know the pH value for various applications such as agriculture, cell culture experiments, and chemical laboratory studies among others. Innovations in instrumentation and detection have made sure there are ways to measure pH values easily. This has made it easier to carry on the applications that need pH measurements. A pH meter is the most common device used to read the pH value. It is highly useful in measuring the pH of fluids, semi-solids, and other substances.
What does pH mean?
Although there is no clear definition of what pH stands for, the general assumption is that it is used to indicate ‘potential of hydrogen’ or ‘power of hydrogen’. So, the pH of any substance is an indication of the number of hydrogen ions it has.
To make matters more complex, the exact definition of pH is arrived at after subtracting the logarithm of the hydrogen ion activity remaining in a solution.
How to Read a pH Meter?
That brings us to the question – how can you read a pH meter? Well, it is somewhat simple if you have a pH meter at hand. Suppose you want to know the pH value of water. All you need to do is put the meter into the water.
In case the water is acidic, the number of hydrogen ions will be high, and the number of hydroxide ions will be less. However, if the water is alkaline, it will be vice versa. A pH of 1 means 101 (or 10), and a pH of 7 means 107 (or 10 million). Dividing the two gives us 106 (one million). So, there will be 10 million million (or 1013) more hydrogen ions than if the water was extremely alkaline, with a pH of 14.
Reading a pH Meter
It can get a bit confusing when the numbers run into millions and billions. To simplify matters, we use some selected logarithms of various hydrogen ions and refer to the power of 10 we obtain in each. So, to find the pH values, we look at the number of hydrogen ions, taking the power of ten, and remove the minus sign from it.
A pH value of one indicates high acidity, a pH value of seven is neutral, and a pH value of 14 indicates high alkalinity. The more alkaline a substance is, the weaker its acidic property is.
Uses of a pH meter
A pH meter is very useful in finding the acidic or alkaline property of water if you wish to farm a certain species of fish which cannot survive in an acidic environment. Likewise, it is also helpful in finding out the level of acidity in a medium used for cell culture or other such experiments. In most cases, if the acid levels aren’t accurate the entire cell culture experiment will collapse.
Likewise, a pH meter is useful to find out the acidic property of soil. This is extremely important if you are looking to cultivate fruits or vegetables that cannot grow in acidic soil. Likewise, it can also be useful to find the correct level of acids required to grow flowers and other plants.
Conclusion
Getting a correct pH reading is crucial for several industries, including agriculture, horticulture, and the food industry. It is also useful in chemical and biological laboratories to ensure the best conditions for cell culture and growth. A well-calibrated pH meter can make all the difference to an experiment. If you are looking for reliable pH meters and other measuring equipment for your business at affordable prices, click here.
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