Which term describes a measure of the basicity of a solution?

• A. pH
• B. Buffer Solution
• C. Titration
• D. pOH

Answer: (D)

The basicity of a solution is tied to the amount of hydroxide ions present, and that amount is quantified directly by pOH. By definition, pOH = −log[OH−], so it tracks how much OH− exists: more OH− means a lower pOH, indicating stronger basicity. At 25°C, pH and pOH are linked by pH + pOH = 14, so while pH reflects hydrogen ion concentration, pOH directly measures the basic (alkaline) character through hydroxide ions. Therefore, pOH is the term that describes the measure of basicity.

Buffer solutions describe systems that resist pH change, not a measure of basicity. Titration is a technique for determining amounts of reactants or concentrations. pH gauges acidity/alkalinity on a single scale, but pOH specifically quantifies the basicity via [OH−].