what is ph ?

What is pH?

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pH means how acidic or basic the water is. pH can mean any of these three things- positive Hydrogen, power of Hydrogen, and potential of Hydrogen. Most reasons the pH becomes more acidic is the chemicals let go by communities and industries. Fish can usually take a pH level of 5.0 to 9.0 but some like a pH level of 6.5 to 8.2.

pH measurement goes from 0 to 14, 0 to 6.9 is more acidic, 7.0 is neutral and 7.1 to 14 is more basic. Since 7.0 is neutral it is the perfect balance of acidity and alkalinity.

This graph is from USGS website. Click the picture to go to it.

Chimacum Middle School 6th Grade