How do I find the pH of water?

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PeytonGenellePendergrass
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Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:53 am
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How do I find the pH of water?

Post by PeytonGenellePendergrass »

I am a 7th grader and since school has started not so long ago,we haven't gotten to anything of interest other than cells and joints of a body. I am in an Honor Science class and our teacher wants us to at least win something in the science fair. She has made us go to her,present a topic,and then she would revise it and give us what to do for the fair. She has given me the germination of a seed and the affects of it on the pH of water. I have heard of pH before,but have no clue how to find it. I haven't searched it up on google,since those sources could be unreliable and wanted to ask an expert. So,the big question,how does the germination of a seed affect the pH of water and how do I find it?
chloemkohl
Student Expert
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Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 7:17 am
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Re: How do I find the pH of water?

Post by chloemkohl »

Hi!

This sounds like a really cool experiment, and you have some good questions! Although, if I may ask, are you finding how different pH values affect seed germination, or how seed germination changes the pH value of water? The first scenario sounds like an easier experiment.

First of all, pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is, or really a measure of hydrogen ions. The pH scale ranges from 0-14; substances ranked at 7 are considered neutral while substances ranked from 0-6 are acids, and 8-14 are bases. Acids have more hydrogen ions than water, and bases have less hydrogen ions than water. For your experiment especially, it’s important to know that the pH of pure water would be 7, so therefore it is neutral. Khan Academy has a more informative article about pH if you want to learn more.

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/bio ... d-bufffers

Typically, pH is found using indicator paper, which measures the concentration of hydrogen ions, and the pH is expressed via color change. Just dip the paper into your solution and observe the change in color. You can then use a key to check which pH value corresponds to the color. Indicator papers can easily be purchased (maybe talk to your teacher to see if she has any), or Science Buddies has a procedure where you can make your own.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... n-ph-paper

Hopefully this is helpful, and good luck with your experiment! Let us know if you have any other questions!

Happy learning,
Chloe
PeytonGenellePendergrass
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:53 am
Occupation: Student

Re: How do I find the pH of water?

Post by PeytonGenellePendergrass »

Thank you for the reply and article. I am going to see how the pH of water affects seed germination. I'm sorry for the confusion and thank you for the help. I was wondering if I could buy some of the pH strips online and if that's a good idea.
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