MODEL 3081 pH/ORP | SECTION 16.0 |
| GLOSSARY |
pH | Although pH is often defined as the negative common logarithm of the hydrogen |
| ion activity, pH is best defined by describing how it is measured. The measure- |
| ment requires three steps. Assemble an electrochemical cell consisting of a glass |
| electrode, a reference electrode, and the solution. Calibrate the cell by measur- |
| ing the voltage of two standard buffer solutions. Finally, measure the cell voltage |
| with sample present. Because voltage is directly proportional to pH, the pH of the |
| sample can be calculated from the calibration data. The operational definition |
| places the pH of the sample on the pH scale defined by the buffers. |
Platinum electrode | A platinum electrode is a noble metal electrode commonly used for measuring |
| ORP. The potential developed at the electrode is directly proportional to the ratio |
| of the concentrations of oxidized and reduced substances present in the sample. |
| pH influences the ORP. |
Platinum RTD | As the name implies, platinum is the sensing element in a platinum RTD. Platinum |
| RTDs are usually identified in terms of their resistance at 0°C. The resistance of |
| a platinum RTD changes +0.39% per °C. |
Preamplifier | A preamplifier, located in either the sensor or in a junction box close to the sen- |
| sor, boosts the signal from the sensor before sending it to the analyzer. Generally, |
| if the pH signal is to be sent more than about 15 feet, it should be preamplified. |
Process display | The process display of the Model 3081pH/ORP transmitter continuously shows |
| the basic measurement (pH or ORP), the temperature, and the output signal. |
Prompt | Prompts guide the user through calibrating and programming the transmitter. |
| Prompts identify the parameter being edited and request the user to enter a num- |
| ber or to select a setting. |
Reduction | Reduction is the gain of electrons. For example, when an iron (III) ion becomes |
| an iron (II) ion, it gains an electron: Fe+3 + e- = Fe+2. |
Reference electrode | A reference electrode maintains a stable potential independent of the pH or ORP |
| of the sample. The reference electrode also contains a reference junction that |
| electrically connects the electrode with the sample. The |
| trode is the most common reference electrode in industrial and laboratory appli- |
| cations. The electrode consists of a piece of silver wire plated with silver chloride |
| in contact with a solution of concentrated potassium chloride. |
Reference impedance | The reference impedance is the overall resistance of the reference electrode to |
| the flow of current through it. Generally, as the reference junction becomes coat- |
| ed and plugged, the reference impedance increases. |
Reference offset | When the transmitter reading is forced to match the reading from a second pH |
| meter, the transmitter calculates the difference between its reading and the sec- |
| ond meter and converts the difference to voltage. The difference is the reference |
| offset. If the reference offset exceeds the programmed limit, the transmitter will |
| not adjust the pH reading. |
Reset | Resetting the transmitter ends the current operation without saving data and |
| returns the transmitter to the process display. Reset does not return the transmit- |
| ter to factory default setting. |
RTD | RTD is an acronym for resistance temperature detector. |
Salt bridge | A salt bridge provides an electrical connection between two electrolyte solutions |
| without permitting the solutions to mix. The classic salt bridge is a |
| filled with gelled potassium chloride and plugged at both ends with a porous mate- |
| rial. When the ends are inserted in separate beakers an electrical connection is |
| formed between the beakers. See the definition of electrochemical cell. |
Shield | A shield is a metal braid that encloses the insulated signal carrying wire. The |
| shield protects the signal wire from extraneous signals. |