Laboratory work#3

BUFFERS AND SALTS HYDROLYSIS

The concentration of hydrogen ions in solution can be expressed through "pH
value" or pH:
pH = -lg[H
+
]. (1)
pH takes values in solutions from 0 to 14. If pH acidic solution, pH = 7
neutral and pH alkaline solution.
Buffer solutions differ in that feature that entering into them of small amounts of
acid or alkali doesn't change pH of solution. Buffer action has the solution formed
by the weak basis and its salt with strong acid, for example, for example aqueous
solution of ammonia and chloride of ammonium. Effect of buffer solutions can
conditionally be described as follows. At addition (in small quantities) hydrogen
ions they substantially contact with ammonia, and added hydroxide - ions with
ammonium ions:
NH
3
+H
3
O
+
= NH
4
+
+H
2
O;
NH
4
+
+OH
-
= NH
3
+H
2
O.
Thus, pH of medium in both cases remains practically unchanged. The quantity of
moles of strong acid or alkaline, addition of them to 1 l buffer solution changes
value of pH to unit, called buffer capacity.
3-1. Preparation of ammonium buffer
1) Prepare 0.1 M solution of NH
4
Cl (250 ml)
2) 50 ml 0.1 M solution of NH
4
Cl merges from 50 ml 0.1 M solution of
NH
4
OH.
3) Determine the pH of prepared solution.

3-2. Investigation of buffering properties of ammonium buffer
To glass on 100 ml pour 20 ml of prepared buffer solution with measured pH.
Then add from burette 0.2 ml 1 N solution of HCL and by mixing the solution,
measure pH of solution after every addition of acid. Finish the experiments when
pH changes more than to unit in comparison with initial value. Do the same
experiment with 0.5 N solution of NaOH. According to the obtained results
construct a graph in coordinates pH V
HCL
and pH V
NaOH
and calculate buffer
capacity of investigated solution.
3-3. Impact of dilution to pH of buffer solution
To glass on 100 ml take 5 ml of ammonium buffer solution. Then add from burette
2 ml of distilled water and conduct the measurement of pH. Explain whether there
is change in pH.
3-4. Determination of constant and hydrolysis degree of salts by measuring
pH of solution
Some salts interact with water, as a result forms acidic or alkaline solutions.
Similar reactions are reactions of hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of salts of weak base and
strong acid, for example ammonium chloride, accompanies with concentration
increasing of hydrogen ions.
NH
4
+ H
2
O = NH
4
OH + H
+
Determine the constant and degree of hydrolysis of NH
4
CL in 0.1 M and other
solutions with less concentration of NH
4
CL and on the basis of obtained dates
make a conclusion about their dependence from concentration.
Determine the pH in obtained 0.1 M solution of NH
4
CL. Then with serial dilution
of initial solution prepare 4 solution of NH
4
CL with fewer concentrations (0.05-
0.001 M, as directed by teacher). Determine the pH of obtained solutions of
NH
4
Cl, construct a dependence pH = f(C
NH4Cl
).
Calculate the constants of hydrolysis of salt K
r
, according to the found values of
pH, based on following considerations. According to the equation of hydrolysis,
hydrolysis constant is equal to:
K
r
= [NH
4
OH][H
+
]/[NH
4
+
]. (2)
From the equation of hydrolysis we can see that [NH
4
OH] = [H
+
]. Because of the
complete dissociation of salts in solution at small values of hydrolysis degree
equilibrium concentration NH
4
+
ion differs less from initial, i.e. you can take that
[NH
4
+
]
equ.
= C
salt
. Then we can obtain calculation formula :
K
r
= [H
+
]/C
salt
(3)
C
salt
in solutions is known, concentration of H
+
ions calculate for each case by
experimentally found values of pH. Hydrolysis degree h is connected with constant
of hydrolysis by following equation:
K
r
= C
salt
*h, (4)
Where h =

Calculate by this formula hydrolysis degree of NH
4
Cl at all investigated solutions.