the calculation of pH for strong and weak acids are different - all pure acids are molecular in nature - when they dissolve in water they split up into ions - strong acids dissociate completely so for strong monoprotic acids such as HCl the concentration of the acid gives the conc of H+(aq) directly however weak acids (the majority of acids) dissociate only to a small extent so the equilibrium law must be used to determine the conc of H+(aq) i.e. Ka