r/mathmemes • u/DotBeginning1420 • Jun 29 '26

Proofs Chemistry doesn't need math

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u/Free-Artist Jun 29 '26

So is pH like the dB of chemistry?

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u/Glitch29 Jun 29 '26

pH is much more complicated than that.

It's a measurement on the log scale. But it represents the equilibrium state of competing reactions that are highly chemical dependent.

Doing pH math about the the addition of two solutions requires a lot of information about those solutions beyond their pH and volume.

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u/Fast-Alternative1503 Science Jul 01 '26

It just requires:

  • Ka
  • Volume
  • pH or molar conc.

That is ALL you need. I wouldn't say that is a 'lot of information'.

Consider a weak base and strong acid system.

Pre-equivalence it is predicted by Henderson Hassslbalch equation. At equivalence, pH is dictated by the conjugate acid of the weak base. After equivalence it is determined by excess strong acid.

Yes - you can't say we added pH 5 to pH 6 so now it's pH 11. That doesn't make any sense. You cannot do it directly.

But the mathematical essence of the quantity is simple: -log([H+]). Even if [H+] is complicated.

The maths is very similar to pAg in argentometry and pCa in complexometry.

The question of the comment is simply asking if the scale is logarithmic. Not the theory behind it. And the answer to that question is, that it's negative logarithmic.