pH common acids, alkalis and neutral substances in aqueous solution

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The pH scale of acidity and alkalinity, acids, alkalis, salts and neutralisation

3. Examples of the pH of common materials in aqueous solution

Revision Notes KS4 Science IGCSE/O level/GCSE Chemistry Information Study Notes for revising for AQA GCSE Science, Edexcel 360Science/IGCSE Chemistry & OCR 21stC Science, OCR Gateway Science (revise courses equal to US grades 9-10)

Advanced Level Chemistry Acid-Base Revision Notes - use index

GCSE Sub-index: Index of all pH, Acids, Alkalis, Salts Notes 1. Examples of acid-alkali chemistry : 2. pH scale, indicators, ionic theory of acids-alkali neutralisation : 3. pH examples of acid, neutral or alkaline solutions : 4. Acid reactions with metals/oxides/hydroxides/carbonates and neutralisation reactions : 5. Reactions of bases-alkalis like sodium hydroxide : 6. Four methods of making salts : 7. Changes in pH in a neutralisation : 8. Important formulae, salt solubility and water of crystallisation : 9. Further examples of word/symbol equations for salt preparations : 10. More on Acid-Base Theory and Weak and Strong Acids

3. pH examples of common acidic, alkaline and neutral materials in aqueous solution
(~ means approximately)

STRONG ACID
pH <2
WEAK ACID
pH 2-6
~NEUTRAL
~pH 7
WEAK ALKALI
(weak soluble base)

pH 8-12
STRONG ALKALI
(strong soluble base)

pH >12

H₂SO₄ sulphuric acid (battery acid) pH 1
sulfuric acid
vitamin C (ascorbic acid) pH ~3 very pure deionised H₂O water pH7 toothpaste pH 8 NaOH sodium hydroxide pH 13-14

HCl hydrochloric acid (in the lab is same as your stomach!) pH 0 - 1 CH₃COOH acetic/ethanoic acid (vinegar) pH ~2 - 3 NaCl sodium chloride (salt water) ~pH 7 Ca(OH)₂ calcium hydroxide (limewater, slaked lime) pH 12 KOH potassium hydroxide pH 13-14

HNO₃ nitric acid pH 1 fruit juices e.g. oranges and lemons contain citric acid pH 2-3 MgSO₄ magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) pH ~6.5 - 7.0 Na₂CO₃ sodium carbonate (washing soda) pH 11 oven cleaner if it contains NaOH, pH can be >12

* milk pH 6 C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose and other sugars) pH 7 NH₃ ammonia pH 11 *

* wine/beer pH 3 - 6 C₂H₅OH ethanol ('alcohol') pH 7 bleach pH 11 *

* rain water naturally has a pH of pH ~5.5 due to the dissolved weakly acidic gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere ('carbonic acid'), but it can fall to pH ~3.5 due to even more acidic sulphur dioxide gas from fossil fuel burning. some 'natural fluids' e.g.
blood ~7.2 - 7.4

saliva ~6.4 - 6.9

cows milk ~6.6

human milk 6.6 - 7.6
Sea water has a pH of ~7.5 - 8.5 and has many different salts dissolved in it and bicarbonates causing the very slight alkalinity. *

* cider 2.9 - 3.3 * NaHCO₃ sodium hydrogen carbonate ('bicarb', baking soda, bread soda) pH 8 *

* * * Mg(OH)₂ magnesium hydroxide ('milk of magnesia') pH 10 - 10.5 *

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