Drain Cleaner pH Classification

Understanding pH and Drain Cleaner Classification

Drain cleaner has a pH of about 14. How can it be classified, based on its pH?

A. It is a very strong base.

B. It is close to neutral but slightly basic.

C. It is close to neutral but slightly acidic.

D. It is a very strong acid.

Answer: A. It is a very strong base.

Explanation: To answer the question we need to ask ourselves several questions:

What is pH?

pH refers to the measure of alkalinity or acidity of a substance.

How is pH measured?

pH is measured by determining the concentration of Hydrogen ions (H⁺) in a given solution.

Then calculated by getting negative logarithm of hydrogen ions concentration.

That is, pH = -log[H⁺]

What does pH tell about a solution?

A solution with a pH below 7 is acidic while a solution with a pH above 7 is basic while that with a pH of 7 is neutral.

A pH of 1 to 3 represents a strong acid while a pH of 4 to 6 represents a weak acid.

Strong alkali or bases have a pH of 12 to 14 while weak alkali or bases have a pH of 8 to 11.

Therefore, a solution with a pH of 14 is a very strong base.

Drain Cleaner pH Classification

A. It is a very strong base.