Acidic, Basic, Neutral Solutions Tutorial
Key Concepts
- A solution is defined as neutral if the concentration of hydrogen ions is the same as the concentration of hydroxide ions1:
neutral solution: [H+] = [OH-]
where [H+] = concentration of hydrogen ions in solution
and [OH-] is the concentration of hydroxide ions in solution - A solution is defined as acidic if the concentration of hydrogen ions is greater than the concentration of hydroxide ions:
acidic solution: [H+] > [OH-]
where [H+] = concentration of hydrogen ions in solution
and [OH-] is the concentration of hydroxide ions in solution - A solution is defined as basic2 if the concentration of hydrogen ions is less than the concentration of hydroxide ions:
basic solution: [H+] < [OH-]
where [H+] = concentration of hydrogen ions in solution
and [OH-] is the concentration of hydroxide ions in solution - Summary:
acidic neutral basic [H+] > [OH-] [H+] = [OH-] [H+] < [OH-]