What is the commonly cited range of the pH scale?

What is the commonly cited range of the pH scale?

• A. -7 to 7
• B. 0 to 14
• C. 1 to 14
• D. 2 to 12

Answer: (B)

The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a solution is by the concentration of hydrogen ions, and it is commonly taught as a 0 to 14 range. At room temperature, neutral water sits at pH 7; values below 7 are acidic and values above 7 are basic. The 0 to 14 range captures the typical extremes you’ll encounter in water chemistry and environmental contexts, making it the best answer. Negative pH values or ranges like 1 to 14 or 2 to 12 aren’t the standard reference for the commonly cited scale, though extremely concentrated solutions can push values outside the conventional 0–14 range.

The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a solution is by the concentration of hydrogen ions, and it is commonly taught as a 0 to 14 range. At room temperature, neutral water sits at pH 7; values below 7 are acidic and values above 7 are basic. The 0 to 14 range captures the typical extremes you’ll encounter in water chemistry and environmental contexts, making it the best answer. Negative pH values or ranges like 1 to 14 or 2 to 12 aren’t the standard reference for the commonly cited scale, though extremely concentrated solutions can push values outside the conventional 0–14 range.