pH

From p- (“pico”) +‎ H (“henry”).

pH

1. (metrology) Symbol for picohenry, an SI unit of electrical inductance equal to 10⁻¹² henrys.

• pK

Originally introduced in 1909 by S. P. L. Sørensen, using the notation p_H⁺ for what he called the “hydrogen ion exponent” (Wasserstoffionenexponent) of a solution. He may have chosen the symbol p arbitrarily; another suggestion is that it either an abbreviation of French puissance, German Potenz, Danish potens (“power”) or English potential. The H is the international chemical symbol for the element hydrogen.

pH (plural pHs)

1. (chemistry) Measure of the acidity (low pH) or basicity (high pH) of an aqueous solution, equal to the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydronium ions in molars.

   Coordinate term: pOH

   • 2000 October 1, Suda Kiatkamjornwong, Wararuk Chomsaksakul, Manit Sonsuk, “Radiation modification of water absorption of cassava starch by acrylic acid/acrylamide”, in Radiation Physics and Chemistry, volume 59, number 4 (in English), →DOI, page 423:

     The water absorbency of the anionically starch-grafted AA/AM absorbent is markedly affected by the pH of the buffer solution at different ionic strengths. The charge of the ionic monomer affects the pH sensitivity of the superabsorbent polymers. An acidic superabsorbent normally ionizes at high pH but unionizes at low pH.

• IPA^(key): /pe.aʃ/

• Audio (France (Paris)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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pH m (plural pHs)

1. (chemistry) pH (measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution, equal to the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydronium ions in molars)

pH

1. Manuel de Codage transliteration of pḥ.