CHM 11600 Daily Page Lecture 14

Monday, February 25, 2013

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Be able to define a buffer
(mixture of conjugate acidbase pair).
Be able to calculate how to
prepare a buffer.
Be able to use HendersonHasselbalch equation to
calculate pH of a buffer.
Be able to describe how
buffer solution can resist
change of pH by adding
strong acid/base or dilution.

ASSIGNMENTS
CONNECT Homework:
HW13 due today, 11:59pm
HW14 due Thurs., Feb 28

Reading for Wednesday:

Silberberg: 19.2

Laboratory (Thurs/Fri):
Lab 8: Acid-base titrations

Exam II:
Next Tuesday, March 5,
6:30pm-7:30pm, Elliott Hall
Review in class time this
Friday (March 1)

Acid-Base Buffers
A Buffer Solution is one that resists a
large change in pH upon the addition of a
strong acid or strong base.
Buffer solutions in water typically have a
weak acid weak base conjugate pair,
both present in the solution at roughly
equal concentrations.

Two solutions:
pure water

0.05 M HF, 0.05 M F

add 0.001 mol HCl to 1.00 L of each solution

Is it a buffer?
A solution made by mixing 500 mL of 0.10
M acetic acid (HC2H3O2) and 500 mL of
0.08 M sodium acetate (NaC2H3O2).
(A) Yes
(B) No
(C) Maybe
(D) Need more information
(E) I dont know

Is it a buffer?
A solution made by mixing 200 mL of 0.10
M nitrous acid (HNO2) and 120 mL of 0.10
M potassium hydroxide (KOH).

(A) Yes
(B) No
(C) Maybe
(D) Need more information
(E) I dont know

Is it a buffer?
A solution made by mixing 250 mL of 0.10
M acetic acid (HC2H3O2) and 250 mL of
water.

(A) Yes
(B) No
(C) Maybe
(D) Need more information
(E) I dont know

Is it a buffer?
A solution made by mixing 200 mL of 0.05
M perchloric acid (HClO4) and 200 mL of
0.08 M potassium fluoride (KF).

(A) Yes
(B) No
(C) Maybe
(D) Need more information
(E) I dont know

Is it a buffer?
A solution made by mixing 250 mL of 0.30
M hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 100 mL of
0.75 M sodium acetate (NaC2H3O2).
(A) Yes
(B) No
(C) Maybe
(D) Need more information
(E) I dont know

Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
HA + H2O H3O+ + A-

[ A ][H O ]
=

Ka

[ HA]

[ A ]
+ log[ H 3O+ ]
logK a = log

[ HA]

[ A ]
+

log[ H 3O ] = logK a + log

HA
[
]

[ A ]

pH = pK a + log

HA
[
]

Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
[ A ]

pH = pK a + log

HA
[
]

If [HA] = [A], reduces to pH = pKa

Buffers work near the pKa of the conjugate
of the pair.
acid

Can use to calculate the pH of a buffer.

Can use to calculate the desired ratio of
component concentrations to make a
buffer of a desired pH.

Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
[ A ]

pH = pK a + log

[ HA]

What is the pH of a buffer that has

equilibrium concentrations:

[HCN] = 0.700 M
[CN] = 0.600 M
(the Ka for HCN is 6.2 x 1010)

Practice Problem
What is the pH of a solution made by
mixing 200 mL of 0.05 M perchloric acid
(HClO4) and 200 mL of 0.08 M potassium
fluoride (KF)?
We said a few slides ago that this is a buffer.
The Ka of HF is 7.2 x 104.

Buffer Range
The buffer range is the pH range over which
the buffer acts effectively. By convention, the
effective range is within 1 pH unit of the
pKa of the weak acid component.
Through Henderson-Hasselbalch,
pH = pKa 1 translates to max 10:1 ratio
between conjugate acid and conjugate base
(a quantitative definition for our roughly
equal concentrations.)

Buffer Capacity
Buffer solutions have a limited capacity to keep
the pH relatively constant. The buffering will be
overcome if so much strong acid or base is added
so that the ratio of conjugate base to acid (after
reaction) leaves the 10:1 ratio either way.

If the conjugate acid and base components are

more concentrated, the buffer capacity is greater.

Preparing a Buffer (in words)

1. Mix together about equal moles of a
weak acid and its conjugate base.
2. Mix together a number of moles of a
weak acid and about half that many
moles of a strong base.
3. Mix together a number of moles of a
weak base and about half that many
moles of a strong acid.

Practice Problem 2
Calculate the pH of a solution that is 0.10
M HNO2 and 0.15 M NaNO2. The Ka for
HNO2 is 4.0 x 104.

Practice Problem 3
Calculate the pH of a solution containing
0.50 M C2H5NH2 (aniline), and 0.25 M
C2H5NH3+. The Kb for aniline is 3.8 x 1010.

Practice Problem 4
How many moles of NaOH must be added
to 1.00 L of a 2.00 M acetic acid
(HC2H3O2) solution to create a buffer with
pH = 5.0? The pKa for acetic acid is 4.74.

Practice Problem 5
A buffered solution is made by mixing
75.0g of solid sodium acetate into 500.0
mL of a 0.64 M solution of acetic acid. The
Ka for acetic acid is 1.8 x 105. What is the
final pH of the solution (assume no
changes in volume)?

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