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Hydrogen Ion Concentration Is Measured as pH

Only 1 in 550 million molecules of water is ionized; thus the concentration of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in water is 1 ? 10"z mol∕L. The chemical potential of H, is known as the acidity and is expressed in pH units.

pH is the negative logarithm of Ht concentration. Water with 1 ? 10 mol/L of hydrogen ion and an equal concentration of hydroxyl ions has a pH of 7.0, that is, a neutral pH. A decrease in pH indicates increasing acidity, caused by an increase in H’ concentration. For example, a decrease of 1.0 pH unit represents a 10-fold increase in H’ concentration. Doubling Ht concentration decreases pH by only 0.3 unit.

The normal range of blood pH, 6.85 to 7.80, represents an H’ concentration of 1.4 ? 10^ to 1.6 ? 10“8 Eq/L. Thus, although the hydrogen ion concentration is regulated, changes up to 10-fold in magnitude can occur, much greater than the fluctuations observed in the concentration of other ions, such as sodium or potassium.

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Source: Cunningham J.G., Klein B.G.. Textbook of Veterinary Physiology. Elsevier Health Sciences,2007. — 720 ð.. 2007

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