PH METER

An electronic device used for measuring the pH acidity/

alkalinity of a liquid.

The pH term translates the values of the hydrogen ion
concentration.

A pH measurement loop is made up of three
components:
-pH sensor which includes a measuring
electrode, a reference electrode and a
temperature sensor;
-preamplifier
-analyser or transmitter



A pH measurement loop is
essentially a battery where the
positive terminal is the measuring
electrode and the negative terminal
is the reference electrode.
The measuring electrode, which is
sensitive to the hydrogen ion,
develops a potential (voltage)
directly related to the hydrogen ion
concentration of the solution.
The reference electrode provides
a stable potential against which the
measuring electrode can be
compared.






The potential difference between the two electrode is a function with a pH
value of the measured solution.
The solution must be conductive and its part of the electrical circuit.

The other electrode (called the reference electrode) uses a porous
junction between the measured liquid and a stable, neutral pH buffer
solution (usually potassium chloride) to create a zero-voltage
electrical connection to the liquid. This provides a point of continuity
for a complete circuit so that the voltage produced across the
thickness of the glass in the measurement electrode can be measured
by an external voltmeter.

Measurement of Electrodes
Construction
Reference Electrodes
Construction














PURPOSE: To generate the voltage used to
measure the solution's pH. This voltage appears
across the thickness of the glass, placing the
silver wire on one side of the voltage and the
liquid solution on the other.
PURPOSE: To provide the stable, zero-voltage
connection to the liquid solution so that a complete
circuit can be made to measure the glass electrode's
voltage.
PH IS A POTENTIOMETRIC MEASUREMENT
The potentiometric pH measurement is the
measurement of potential with a glass
electrode.
The pH sensitive element is a glass bulb
that is fused at the end of a glass tube.
The electrode is filled with neural
Potassium Chloride solution, buffered at
pH 7 and contains Silver Chloride wire that
forms the electrical connection.
The reference system is located at the
outer glass tube and also consists of Silver
Chloride wire and a Potassium Chloride
solution.
A junction protects the reference system
from the medium to be measured without
disconnecting the electrical connection
between them.
The pH level is calculated from he potential
difference between the reference system
and measuring system.

CALIBRATION AND USE
For very precise work the pH meter should be calibrated before each measurement.
Calibration should be performed with at least two standard buffer solutions that span the
range of pH values to be measured. For general purposes buffers at pH 4.01 and pH 10.00
are acceptable.
The pH meter has one control (calibrate) to set the meter reading equal to the value of the
first standard buffer and;
a second control (slope) which is used to adjust the meter reading to the value of the
second buffer;
A third control allows the temperature to be set. Standard buffer sachets, which can be
obtained from a variety of suppliers, usually state how the buffer value changes with
temperature.
For more precise measurements, a three buffer solution calibration is preferred. As pH 7 is
essentially, a "zero point" calibration (akin to zeroing or taring a scale or balance), calibrating
at pH 7 first, calibrating at the pH closest to the point of interest (e.g. either 4 or 10) second
and checking the third point will provide a more linear accuracy to what is essentially a non-
linear problem. Some meters will allow a three point calibration and that is the preferred
scheme for the most accurate work. Higher quality meters will have a provision to account
for temperature coefficient correction, and high-end pH probes have temperature probes
built in.
The calibration process correlates the voltage produced by the probe (approximately
0.06 volts per pH unit) with the pH scale. After each single measurement, the probe is rinsed
with distilled water or deionized water to remove any traces of the solution being measured,
blotted with a scientific wipe to absorb any remaining water which could dilute the sample
and thus alter the reading, and then quickly immersed in another solution.