Soil pH Soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. pH is defined as the negative logarithm (base 10) of the activity of hydronium ions ( or, more precisely, ) in a solution. In soils, it is measured in a slurry of soil mixed with water (or a salt solution, such as 0.01 M ), and normally falls between 3 and 10, with 7 being neutral. Acid soils have a pH below 7 and alkaline soils have a pH above 7. Ultra-acidic soils (pH < 3.5) and very strongly alkaline soils (pH > 9)
Alkali hydroxide Alkali hydroxide The alkali hydroxides are a class of chemical compounds which are composed of an alkali metal cation and the hydroxide anion (OH). The alkali hydroxides are: The most common alkali hydroxide is sodium hydroxide, which is readily available in most hardware stores in products such as a drain cleaner. Another common alkali hydroxide is potassium hydroxide. This is available as a solution used for cleaning terraces and other areas made out of wood. All alkali hydroxides are very corrosive, being strongly alkaline. A typical school demonstration demonstrates what happens when a piece of an alkali metal is introduced