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The Hammett acidity function (H 0) is a measure of acidity that is used for very concentrated solutions of strong acids, including superacids.It was proposed by the physical organic chemist Louis Plack Hammett [1] [2] and is the best-known acidity function used to extend the measure of Brønsted–Lowry acidity beyond the dilute aqueous solutions for which the pH scale is useful.
The pH scale is by far the most commonly used acidity function, and is ideal for dilute aqueous solutions. Other acidity functions have been proposed for different environments, most notably the Hammett acidity function , H 0 , [ 3 ] for superacid media and its modified version H − for superbasic media.
The pH range is commonly given as zero to 14, but a pH value can be less than 0 for very concentrated strong acids or greater than 14 for very concentrated strong bases. [2] The pH scale is traceable to a set of standard solutions whose pH is established by international agreement. [3]
English: A pH scale with annotated examples of chemicals at each integer pH value. Date: 29 March 2010: Source: ... Date/Time Thumbnail Dimensions User Comment; current:
[c] [2] For example, a hypothetical weak acid having K a = 10 −5, the value of log K a is the exponent (−5), giving pK a = 5. For acetic acid, K a = 1.8 x 10 −5, so pK a is 4.7. A higher K a corresponds to a stronger acid (an acid that is more dissociated at equilibrium).
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Buffer capacity falls to 33% of the maximum value at pH = pK a ± 1, to 10% at pH = pK a ± 1.5 and to 1% at pH = pK a ± 2. For this reason the most useful range is approximately pK a ± 1. When choosing a buffer for use at a specific pH, it should have a pK a value as close as possible to that pH. [2]
For example, if the concentration of the conjugate base is 10 times greater than the concentration of the acid, their ratio is 10:1, and consequently the pH is pK a + 1 or pK b + 1. Conversely, if a 10-fold excess of the acid occurs with respect to the base, the ratio is 1:10 and the pH is p K a − 1 or p K b − 1.