As a chemical expert with a background in analytical chemistry, I often deal with questions regarding the pH scale and its implications for the strength of acids and bases. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale that ranges from 0 to 14 and is used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. The scale is centered around 7, which is considered neutral—neither acidic nor basic.

When we talk about strong acids, we refer to acids that completely dissociate in water, meaning they release all of their hydrogen ions (H+) into the solution. The strength of an acid is not solely determined by its ability to donate protons (H+ ions), but also by how readily it does so. Strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and nitric acid (HNO3), are known for their high tendency to dissociate in water, which results in a high concentration of H+ ions.

The pH value is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution. It is calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{pH} = -\log[H^+] \]
where \( [H^+] \) represents the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per liter (M). For strong acids, which dissociate completely, the pH value is determined by the concentration of the acid before it is added to water. For example, a 1 M solution of a strong acid will have a pH of 0 because it will produce a hydrogen ion concentration of 1 M after dissociation.

It's important to note that the pH scale is logarithmic, which means that each unit change in pH represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration. Therefore, a solution with a pH of 3 is ten times more acidic than one with a pH of 4 and a hundred times more acidic than one with a pH of 5.

The reference provided suggests that the strongest acid has a pH of 1 and the strongest base has a pH of 14. While it is true that the pH of 1 is very low and indicative of a very strong acid, it is not accurate to say that this is the absolute lowest pH value for a strong acid. In fact, the pH can theoretically go lower than 1 for solutions that are extremely concentrated with strong acids. However, in practice, extremely low pH values are rare due to the limitations of standard pH measurement techniques and the fact that very concentrated solutions are not stable.

On the other hand, the pH of 14 is indeed indicative of a very strong base, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which completely dissociates in water to form hydroxide ions (OH-). However, similar to the case with acids, the pH scale can theoretically extend beyond 14 for extremely concentrated solutions of strong bases.

In summary, a strong acid is characterized by a low pH value, indicating a high concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. While the reference suggests that the strongest acid has a pH of 1, it is more accurate to say that strong acids can have pH values lower than 1, depending on their concentration and the extent of their dissociation.

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In technical words, the acid which dissociates completely into H+ ions in water will have the lowest pH value, while the base dissociates completely into OH- ions in water will have the highest pH value. EDIT : Strongest acid has pH of 1 while strongest base has pH of 14. (0 - 6.99 are acids. 7 is neutral.Apr 26, 2015read more >>