1. What’s the Solution? Acid or Base
Understanding pH

2. Chemistry Chemicals can be grouped by their properties.
One of these properties is pH, which tells you whether a substance is an acid, a base, or neutral.

3. What is pH? The p stands for potential, or power.
The H stands for the chemical symbol for hydrogen.
The pH of a solution is how acidic or basic it is.

4. Acids and Bases Acids: Bases:
Acids are a group of sour chemicals. They contain hydrogen. When a food tastes sour, it usually contains an acid.
Some acids can “eat away” metal, others are harmless
Bases:
Bases are the opposite of acids. They contain a hydroxide ion, and feel slippery or soapy. Bases tastes bitter.
Some are very corrosive and reactive

5. Acids and Bases
Acids Hydrochloric acid breaks down food in the stomach Citric Acid comes from oranges and lemons Sulfuric Acid used in car batteries Acetic acid is vinegar
Bases Used for cleaning and industrial processes Soap Ammonia Bleach Milk of Magnesia is a mild base used to cure an upset stomach

6. Water and pH
All substances are made up of millions of tiny atoms. These atoms form small groups called molecules. In water, for example, each molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The formula for a molecule of water is H2O. "H" means hydrogen, "2" means 2 hydrogen atoms, and the "O" means oxygen.

7. Acids and Bases in Water
When an acid is poured into water, it gives up H (hydrogen) to the water. When a base is poured into water, it gives up OH (hydroxide) to the water.

8. The pH scale pH is measured On a scale from 0- 14.
pH levels from 0-6 is acidic.
pH levels from 8-14 is basic.
pH of 7 is neutral.

9. pH Facts:
As acids get stronger, pH gets lower. A pH of 1 is a very strong acid.
As bases get stronger, pH gets higher. A pH of 14 is a very strong base.

10. Why is pH important?
Both humans and aquatic (water) organisms depend on water.
The pH of water must be within a range of 5 to 9 in order for organisms to survive.
Waters with a pH less than about 5 are too acidic for humans to drink and cannot allow most aquatic life to survive. Low pH can also cause the pipes our water comes out of to wear away.
Waters that are too basic can also harm humans, plants, and animals. Water with a pH of greater that 9 can dissolve materials such as animal scales and skin.

11. Why do pH levels change?
pH can be affected by the chemicals in the water.
The pH of water affects organisms living in the water. A changing pH in water can mean that there is an increase of pollution or some other environmental factor.
Things such as burning fossil fuels (like with cars), mining, chemical spills, runoff (washing cars and farming), and sewage cause pH levels to change.

12. It’s very important that the pH levels of water don’t increase or decrease too much out of a certain range.
This change could affect food chains and the survival of species.

13. Examples of pH levels
Water: should be between 5 and 9 for most aquatic organisms to live.
Algae: grow best between 7.5 and 8.4.
Acid Rain: 1-3, battery acid: 0
Aquatic bacteria can live in a pH level between 2 and 13 and plants between 6 and 13. Organisms such as carp, catfish, bass, bluegill, snails, clams, mussels and trout can be found in pH levels between 6 and 9.