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Re: [APD] Lime query

On 18/09/2011 04:36, Jerry Baker wrote:

On 9/17/2011 2:54 PM, Stuart Halliday wrote:

If I add Lime (CaCO3) to an aquarium will the pH go up?

If it does why?

It has no Hydrogen ions surely?


"pH" stands for "potential of hydrogen." To over-simplify a bit, it is
basically the negative logarithm of the molar concentration of H+ ions.
A 0.000001 Molar solution of hydrochloric acid would be pH 6.0
(10^-6.0). The higher the pH, the weaker the concentration of H+ ions.
When you add CaCO3 to water, it reacts with any acids present and binds
with free H+ ions to form Calcium bicarbonate, or Ca(HCO3)2 and thus
reduces the count of free H+ ions which raises the pH. Does that make
sense?


Thanks for that. That does make sense. :)


--
Stuart Halliday
http://mytriops.com/
200 Million years in the making...
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