The pH scale is used globally in order to quantify the degree of acidity or alkalinity that is important to many applications in everyday life. However, students can find it tricky to appreciate the meaning of the numbers of this logarithmic scale and how to manipulate them.
After working through this topic you will be able to:
- explain what is meant by the pH scale, what its numbers represent and the link with concentration;
- appreciate some of the students' difficulties and know how they can be addressed or avoided; and
- use effective strategies and practical activities to aid students' understanding of this topic.