1.13DeterminationofpH.PDFVIP

The International Pharmacopoeia - Sixth Edition, 2016 1.13 Determination of pH 1.13 Determination of pH A value characteristic of an aqueous solution is its pH value, which represents conventionally its acidity or alkalinity. The pH of a solution is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion activity, which may be measured potentiometrically. Formerly, pH was regarded as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. As it is known that not all hydrogen ions are necessarily equally active, this concentration may be different from the hydrogen ion activity. However, if the activity coefficient is close to 1, as is true in dilute solutions, the values of hydrogen ion activity and hydrogen ion concentration become nearly identical. The determination of the pH value is carried out by measurement of the potential difference between electrodes immersed in standard and test solutions. The standard solutions used are assigned a definite pH value by convention. In the measurement of pH, glass electrode finds wide applicability as it shows an immediate response to rapid changes of hydrogen ion concentrations even in poorly buffered solutions. Since the mechanism of this electrode involves no electron exchange it is the only electrode sensitive to hydrogen ions that is not disturbed by oxidizing or reducing agents. The pH values of solutions or suspensions that are only partially aqueous and that can be considered only as apparent pH values can also be measured by using the proper electrode and by suitably standardizing the pH-meter. As pH values are dependent on temperature, the measurements are carried out at selected constant temperatures. Solutions used in determinations of pH are prepared with carbon-dioxide-free water R. pH Scale The difference in pH between two solutions, X and S, at the same temperature may be defined oper