pH Values Of Common Drinks

pH Values

Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe chemicals, just like hot and cold are two extremes that describe temperature. A substance that is neither acidic nor basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7, such as pure water is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic and greater than 7 is basic. Each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. For example, a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 5 and 100 times (10 x 10) more acidic than a pH of 6. The same holds true for pH values above 7, each of which is ten times more basic than the next lower whole value. The pH of the acid in dental plaque is 4; therefore it will dissolve enamel.