Deep dive

Acids Bases And Ions

pH is a logarithmic way of expressing hydrogen-ion activity; introductory calculations often approximate activity using concentration in sufficiently dilute solutions.

How the ideas connect

A good science page should make the connection visible, not just list definitions.

pH, acids and bases

pH is a logarithmic way of expressing hydrogen-ion activity; introductory calculations often approximate activity using concentration in sufficiently dilute solutions.

Because the scale is logarithmic, a change of one pH unit corresponds to a tenfold change in the relevant hydrogen-ion activity ratio.

→ pH, acids and bases

Ions

An ion is an atom or molecular entity carrying a net electric charge because its numbers of protons and electrons are not balanced.

Losing electrons gives a positive charge; gaining electrons gives a negative charge. This simple bookkeeping is behind salts, electrochemistry and much of solution chemistry.

→ Ions

Chemical equilibrium

At chemical equilibrium, forward and reverse processes continue but their rates are equal, so macroscopic composition no longer changes with time. Equilibrium is dynamic, not a frozen reaction.

That single idea prevents one of the most common misunderstandings in chemistry.

→ Chemical equilibrium

What to notice

A good science page should make the connection visible, not just list definitions.

Sources

IUPAC Gold Book · NIST · BIPM