5-6 on the pH scale is how much more acidic?

Prepare for your College Biology Exam 1 with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Test your understanding with detailed explanations and hints to ensure success in your biology exam!

Multiple Choice

5-6 on the pH scale is how much more acidic?

Explanation:
Acidity on the pH scale is described by a logarithmic relationship: each unit change in pH reflects a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration. Lower pH means more acidic. So shifting from pH 6 to pH 5 increases the hydrogen ion concentration by a factor of ten, making it ten times more acidic. The other numbers would reflect linear changes, which isn’t how the pH scale works.

Acidity on the pH scale is described by a logarithmic relationship: each unit change in pH reflects a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration. Lower pH means more acidic. So shifting from pH 6 to pH 5 increases the hydrogen ion concentration by a factor of ten, making it ten times more acidic. The other numbers would reflect linear changes, which isn’t how the pH scale works.

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