
The buffers pH will change quickly if an acid or base is added. The term breaking of the buffer solution is used when the entire base and its conjugate acid are consumed to eliminate the added acid. When NaOH is added to this buffer system, the ammonium ion donates a proton to the base to become ammonia and water, thus neutralizing the base without any significant pH change. The pH of the system doesnt change much because all the extra H + ion are locked up and have formed a weaker acid, NH4 +. The extra H + ion added to the system is consumed by the NH 3 to form NH 4 +. An example of a buffer made up of weak base ammonia, NH 3, and its conjugate acid, NH 4 + is presented.

= initial concentration of acid Buffer Solution Examples

This equation is known as Hendersions Equation It is a mixture of CH 3COOH and CH 3COONaīy the law of chemical equilibrium, K a = Hendersion’s Equation (pH of buffer) (a) Acidic Buffer The solution would have a pH of 9.25 if these were mixed together. An example of an alkaline buffer solution is a mixture of ammonia and Ammonia. The alkaline buffer solution is made from a weak base and one of its salts. You can change the pH of the buffer solution by changing the ratio of acid to a salt or by choosing a different acid and one of its salts. It is usually made from a weak acid and a conjugate of it.Ī mixture of ethanoic acid and sodium ethanoate in solution, which has a pH of 4.76 when mixed in equal concentrations, is commonly used in acidic buffer solutions. Ammonia (weak base w/ formula NH 3) and a salt containing its conjugate acid, the ammonium cation, such as Ammonium Hydroxide (NH 4OH).Īcid buffer solutions dont have a pH higher than 7.Pyridine (weak base w/ formula C 5H 5N) and a salt containing its conjugate acid, the pyridinium cation (C 5H 5NH +), such as Pyridinium Chloride.

Acetic acid (weak organic acid w/ formula CH 3COOH) and a salt containing its conjugate base, the acetate anion (CH 3COO -), such as sodium acetate (CH 3COONa).The following could be used as a buffer in the solution. When preparing the buffer, the use of either one or the other is dependent on the desired pH. The addition of a small amount of an acid or base changes its pH.Ī buffer consisting of a weak conjugate acid-base pair is required to maintain a pH range.Its pH doesnt change when you add it to water.It doesnt have a change in its pH when standing for long periods of time.
