Re: NANFA-- new improved pH definition

Sajjad Lateef (sajjad_at_acm.org)
Tue, 4 Dec 2001 21:38:51 -0600 (EST)

On Tue, 4 Dec 2001, Bruce Stallsmith wrote:
> pH is a logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration, originally
> defined by Danish biochemist Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen in 1909 [1].
>
> pH = -log[H+]
>
> where log is a base-10 logarithm and [H+] is the concentration of hydrogen
> ions in moles per liter of solution. According to the Compact Oxford English
> Dictionary, the "p" stands for the German word for "power", potenz, so pH is
> an abbreviation for "power of hydrogen" [2].

Dr. Stallsmith is correct. pH is 'potenz Hydrogen'. I remembered wrong.
(It's been 10 years since Freshman Chemistry ... but, that's a poor excuse
since it was my favorite subject).

Sajjad

-- 
Sajjad Lateef   email: sajjad <at> acm.org 
Chicago, IL     web: http://www.lateef.org/sajjad/

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