What Is the PH Level of Baking Soda?

Most substances around us have pH levels, but the average person is unaware of this fact. Actually, many people don't even know what pH levels are. Baking soda is a useful household product because it balances the pH levels of the substances to which it is applied.

First Discovery

In the 17th century, a chemist named Robert Boyle first labeled liquids as acids or alkalies (bases). He noted certain characteristics about each, such as how acids taste sour and are corrosive, and bases feel slippery.

Later Discoveries

Later on, as more scientists studied Boyle's work, they learned things like the fact that some acids are more acidic than others. The scientist Sören Sörensen came up with a scale to measure the acidity or basicity of a substance.

PH Scale

Sörensen's scale goes from zero to 14. Substances that measure less than seven are acids, those that measure more than seven are bases, and those that measure exactly seven are considered neutral.

Baking Soda

The pH of baking soda is nine. This means that it is a base that falls between substances such as egg whites (an eight) and antacids (a 10).

Uses of Baking Soda

Baking soda can be used to help neutralize an extreme acid or base. It can neutralize acid smells in the refrigerator, create pool water with a neutral pH so it is clear, and stabilize the water in the washing machine so that the detergent can do its job.

References

• Vision Learning
• Arm and Hammer's Baking Soda