What is temperature compensation and how will it affect my measurements?
When measuring the pH of a solution there are 3 main temperature effects that come into play. The first is that the slope of the pH calibration curve for the electrode as given by the Nernst equation is temperature dependent. Provided the temperature of the buffers is taken into account during calibration, any difference between this temperature and that of the actual samples being measured can be mathematically compensated for. With most modern pH meters and titrators this can be done automatically. A second effect involves real changes in pH of a sample with temperature. Imagine a weak acidthat only partly dissociates in solution. The higher the temperature of the solution, the greater will be the degree of dissociation of the acid, and therefore the lower the pH will be. This effect is completely sample dependent and cannot be compensated for with any pH meter or titrator. The third effect relates to the second but involves the calibration with the pH buffers.
When measuring the pH of a solution there are 3 main temperature effects that come into play. The first is that the slope of the pH calibration curve for the electrode as given by the Nernst equation is temperature dependent. Provided the temperature of the buffers is taken into account during calibration, any difference between this temperature and that of the actual samples being measured can be mathematically compensated for. With most modern pH meters and titrators this can be done automatically. A second effect involves real changes in pH of a sample with temperature. Imagine a weak acidthat only partly dissociates in solution. The higher the temperature of the solution, the greater will be the degree of dissociation of the acid, and therefore the lower the pH will be. This effect is completely sample dependent and cannot be compensated for with any pH meter or titrator. The third effect relates to the second but involves the calibration with the pH buffers. As pH buffers are ofte
