# Acids **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2000, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769 "2000-11-26T18:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sublime1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Sublime1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublime1300)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/1 "2000-11-26T18:24:34Z")
What is the Ph scale for Hydrogen Peroxide? This is for a Science experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/2 "2000-11-26T18:40:00Z")
I’m at work now (in the chemistry lab) I’ll get my 30% H2O2 and dilute it down to 3% (the % the store bought stuff is). Then I’ll run it on the pH meter for you. I’ll be back in a few minutes. (I suspect the pH will be roughly neutral and will be more dependant on the pH of the water I add to the stuff) ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/3 "2000-11-26T18:52:34Z")
pH of 9mLs water = 6.97 pH of 9mLs water and 1ml of 30% H2O2 = 6.14 (this should be a 3% solution) pH of 30% solution (just for kicks) = 5.11 (I don’t recommend doing this since the stuff is pretty corrosive, but what the hell, It’s Sunday and no one will know if I was the one who ruined the probe–though I think it survived fairly well.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/4 "2000-11-26T21:14:14Z")
not that anybody asked, but for years, I thought that pH stood for the power of Hydrogen. But my freshman chem professor told me it was not true. The p stands for puissance, which is french for power. “a difference that makes no difference is no differance” ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/5 "2000-11-26T21:24:05Z")
Sigene, it’s “corrosive” (mildly) for the skin. Two second immersion won’t ruin the probe. Remove it and run tape water over it. What are they paying you for? You do not seem to do much, do you? When you are not on this MB, you are testing pH of 3% H2 peroxide. BTW, it’s mildly acidic due to 0- ion. Sublime, I’m dying to know: what is your Sunday Science (capitalized) and what is your experiment? Does it have anything to do with your wife’s hair color? ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/6 "2000-11-26T22:58:04Z")
peace–mildly ‘corrosive’? I’ve splashed 30% hydrogen peroxide on my skin before and within minutes it turns a puffy white. It might not be a strong acid, but it’s not something I’d like to stick my hand in. And, distilled water, man, not tap water for rinsing those pH meter probes. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/7 "2000-11-27T02:09:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > not that anybody asked, but for years, I thought that pH stood for the power of Hydrogen. But my freshman chem professor told me it was not true. The p stands for puissance, which is french for power. According to Merriam-Webster, it’s from… “German, from Potenz power + H (symbol for hydrogen)” ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/8 "2000-11-27T03:01:51Z")
647, tap water first, final rinse in distilled water. Distilled water is mighty expensive now. Although, if they can afford Sigene… I did not want to scare anyone who gurgles daily with diluted H2O2. 3% solution is widely used as anticeptic for wounds. 30% will turn the upper layer of you skin white; you won’t remember it in a day or two. Do not stick you hand into it, but it won’t ruin yous dress, either, as weak sulfuric acid from your car battery would. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/9 "2000-11-27T03:14:18Z")
According to Merriam-Webster, it’s from… “German, from Potenz power + H (symbol for hydrogen)” I wonder what else they taught me in college that’s wrong ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acids/42769/10 "2000-11-27T04:49:48Z")
pH stands for the French _potential Hydrogène_ according to one of my references, but German _Potenz_ + H according to another. It seems to me that if the “p” stands for “Potenz,” pH should always be capitalized, but it never is. For what it’s worth I think the pH scale was devised by the Danish chemist Sørensen.