System of measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a substance; refers to the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion content of the solution.
pH values run from 1 to 14; a pH of 7 indicates that a substance is neutral. A value of more than 7 indicates the substance is basic (alkaline) and a value of 11 or more indicates it is very basic and is likely to cause corrosion and/or tissue damage. Likewise, a value of less than 7 indicates that the substance is acidic, and a value of 3 or less indicates it is a strong acid.
A measure of the hydrogen-ion activity in a solution, expressed as the negative log10 of hydrogen ion concentration on a scale of 0 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly basic) with a pH of 7 being neutral.
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Definition:
The measurement of acidity or alkalinity. A pH of 7 is neutral; less than 7 is acid; greater than 7 is basic or alkaline.