How to use Log

[Ashley Hiti 1K]

This is more of a basic math question but for the parts of Wk 10 Achieve #5 where we are given the pH/pOH how do we solve the equation.

I know that plugging it in would look something like 5.21 = -log[H^+] but how do I mathematically solve that?

[Sahir Eusuff 2H]

By manipulating the equation, we can solve for [H^+] by taking 10^-ph. To solve for the [H^+] when the ph=5.21, you would do 10^-5.21.

[Lily Zello 3I]

Hi! Just to add an explanation to the previous post, the logarithm is the inverse function to exponentiation, meaning that the logarithm of a given number x is the exponent to which another number (in the following equation we use b) must be raised to produce that number x. This lays it out a little easier: . So, when you have log base 10 of an unknown number equal to a known number (x in the previous equation), you can just take 10^x to find the answer. Hope this helps!