Mr.

Dev Raj Sharma

Assistant Professor
Laureate Institute of Pharmacy Kathog
 About pH

• pH – represent the hydrogen ion potential.

• It is defined as the negative logarithm of molar

concentration of hydrogen ions.

pH= -log[H3O+ ]

According to thermodynamic definition:

• pH is defined as the negative logarithm to base 10 of
hydronium ion activity
 Sorensen’s pH scale

In 1909 S.P. Sorensen coined the term pH to represent

hydrogen ion potential

pH scale is a logarithmic or numeric scale ranging from 0-14.

It express the degree of acidity (0-7), alkalinity (7-14).

At room temperature, a neutral solution has hydronium ion

concentration of 10-7.
Classification of acid and base based on Sorensen pH scale
Calculation of pH (Proton balance equation PPE)
This equation is based on
Bronsted Lowery theory of
acid and base.
According to this theory, total
number of protons donated or
released by an acid must be
equal to the total number of
protons accepted or
consumed by a base .
In proton balance equation,
the sum of concentration
terms of species formed by
proton release is equated to
the sum of concentration
terms of species formed by
proton consumption
The steps involved in obtaining
proton balance equation have been
mentioned below:
Step 1:
S Start the PBE by taking into consideration the species
t added to water
e Step 2
Place the concentration terms of all species that are
p formed when protons are donated by the starting species
s on the right hand side of the equation.
Step 3:
Place the concentration terms of all the species that are
formed when protons are accepted by the starting species
on the left hand side of the equation.
Step 4:
Multiply each species by the number of protons donated
or accepted by the starting species to form new species
Step 5:
To the right hand side of the equation, add hydroxyl ions
[OH] and to the left hand side of the equation, add
hydronium ion [H,O] resulted by the interaction between
two molecules of water
 Continue with example

The proton balance equation for HCI in water is as follows,

HCI+H20 ↔H3O+ +Cl-

Step 1: Start with HCl because it is the starting molecule.

Step 2 : On the right hand side, place [Cl- ] because it is formed
when HCl donates a proton.
Step 3: on the left hand side, place [H3O+], because it is formed
when H2O accept a proton
Step 4: As the above equation involves only one transfer of
proton from the starting molecules, there is no need of
multiplying.
Step 5: Add [H3O+] to the left hand side and OH- to the right
side of equation.

The overall equation is represented as follows

[H3O+] = [OH-] + [Cl]
Measurement of pH
 Electrometric method
It is widely accepted method for determination of pH .

Principle :
This method is based on the principle that when two solution are
separated by a thin glass electrode membrane a potential difference developed
between the solution in the bulb and solution outside the bulb. So the
difference in the electrical potential is proportional to the concentration of H +
ion of solution being measured.

Apparatus:
pH meter
Measuring electrode : Glass electrode made up of lithium glass
Reference electrode : Calomel (Hg and Hgcl2)
Procedure
Electrometric method –pH meter
Applications of Electrometric method

1)To find out the concentration of H+ ion.

2)To find out the concentration of OH- ion.

3)To find out the concentration of buffers to be

added.

4)To improve the stability, solubility and purity of

given solution.
Colorimetric method
Procedure
Applications of pH