Module 5 Intro

Module 5—Acids and Bases

Lesson Summary

The following question was investigated in this lesson:

• How do you calculate pH, [H3O+(aq)], pOH, and [OH−(aq)]?

pH or pOH are logarithmic values that represent the concentration of hydronium ions and concentration of hydroxide ions, respectively, within solutions. These values are used because the concentration of these ions is often very small. The following algorithms can be used to perform calculations involving pH, pOH, and the concentration of their respective ions in solution:

• pH = −log[H3O+(aq)]

• [H3O+(aq)] = 10–pH

• pOH = −log[OH−(aq)]

• [OH−(aq)] = 10−pOH

At the beginning of this lesson you learned that the indigenous North American people were able to survive on a corn-based diet due to their ability to use a basic solution to enhance food quality. You also completed a project where you investigated the use of acidic and basic ingredients in the preparation of some of the foods you eat.