British Scientists Say Carbon Dioxide Is Turning the Oceans Acidic - New York Times is yet another piece in the great global warming scare. No, it's the evil CO2 that (according to the article may or may not contribute to global warming) but it is turning the oceans acidic and will destroy the coral reefs.
pH is explained as "The pH scale, which measures the concentration of hydrogen, runs from 1, the most acidic and highest concentration of ions, to 14, the most alkaline, with almost no ions."
The Times, according to Mr. Keller in an address I heard today, prides itself on the amount of science reporting. Just reading this, means that they have nothing to be proud about. It is also an example of the absolute science idiocy in the press.
Leaving out the fact that the real definition of pH is -log aH (activity coeficient) and going to the simplistic (but very close) definition of pH =-log[H+], [H+] is the molar concentration of hydrogen ions, then the bottme of the scale, most acidic is 1, meaning that [H+] = 0.1 molar, or effectively 3.65 grans of hydrogen chloride per liter. A 1 molar solution of HCl would have a pH of 0. HCl, such as purchased by laboratories is ~32%, or 10.2 molar and the pH by this definition is about -1.
I also love the statement that there are "no ions" at pH 14. The solution is chock full of ions, mostly hydroxide ions at 0.1 molar. Since I can make solutions of greater hydroxide ion concentrations, 0.1 molar is not all the ions you can squeeze into a quart of water. I wonder if the Times believes that a solution of sodium chloride has "no ions."
As stated in the article, this is high school chemistry. Maybe the Times reporter should have taken the course. If all we know is what we read in the times, then we be pretty darn ignorant.
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