To understand soil pH, a basic understanding of chemistry is important. Everything in the world around us is made up of subatomic particles. An atom consists of three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons. A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons. The protons and neutrons live in the nucleus (center) of an atom while electrons fly around the nucleus. While protons have a postive charge, electrons have a negative charge. In its pure state, water is neutral. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the hydrogen and hydroxyl concentrations in an aqueous solution. It ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Neutual means the concentration of hydrogen ions is exactly equal to hydroxide ions. While anything above seven is basic (alkaline), anything below seven is acidic. For each pH level above or below seven the pH levels increase tenfold. Tomorrow, we will talk Plant Nutrients. ~ Chef ~Thursday, February 3, 2011
- Protons, Neutrons and Electrons -
To understand soil pH, a basic understanding of chemistry is important. Everything in the world around us is made up of subatomic particles. An atom consists of three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons. A neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons. The protons and neutrons live in the nucleus (center) of an atom while electrons fly around the nucleus. While protons have a postive charge, electrons have a negative charge. In its pure state, water is neutral. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the hydrogen and hydroxyl concentrations in an aqueous solution. It ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Neutual means the concentration of hydrogen ions is exactly equal to hydroxide ions. While anything above seven is basic (alkaline), anything below seven is acidic. For each pH level above or below seven the pH levels increase tenfold. Tomorrow, we will talk Plant Nutrients. ~ Chef ~
