Answer:
You must know the concept of pH of a solution and its relation to the concentration of H+ and OH- ions. pH is a measure of the substance's acidity or basicity. From the definition of Arrhenius, an acid contains an H+ while a base contains a OH- ion. From this definition, we can say that an acidic substance has a higher concentration of H+ ions. Now, I'll introduce here that pH is the value of the negative logarithm of the concentration of H+. In equation,
pH = -log[H+]
The term pOH is therefore also, pOH = -log[OH-]. Therefore, the relationship that connects the two negative logarithms is:
pH + pOH = 14
The pH scale starts from 1 being the most acidic to 14 being the most basic. The neutral pH is 7. Thus, for a pH of 7, the H+ and the OH- concentrations are equal.
pH = 7 = -log[H+]
[H+] = 1×10⁻⁷ mol/L = [OH-]
Since the concentrations are equal, the ratio is equal to 1.
