negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion
concentration expressed in moles per
liter.” The logarithm of a number is the
exponent, or power, to which 10 must be
raised in order to obtain the number. For
example, the hydrogen ion concentration in
pure water is 10-7 moles per liter, so the pH
of pure water is 7. Larger concentrations
are described by smaller negative
exponents, so a more acidic solution will
have a pH lower than 7, and a less acidic,
more basic solution will have a pH higher
than 7. Each increment of 1 in pH signifies
an increase or decrease in proton
concentration by a factor of 10; so there
are 1,000 times the number of hydrogen
ions in a solution of pH 5 as there are in a
solution of pH 8.Fats, Oils, and
Relatives: Lipids