PREPARATION OF BUFFER SOLUTION

William Arturo Bulla Pardo

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Correspondence: wabullap@correo.udistrital.edu.co

ABSTRACT: The following report will present the results obtained in the laboratory
practice of preparation of buffer solution with a specific acid a conjugated base and a
specific pH and volume.
KEY WORDS: Buffer, pH, Acid, Conjugated Base, Volume.

INTRODUCTION: Then:
Brønsted-Lowry Acid-Base Theory A- = Conjugated acid
According to Brønsted-Lowry theory, an HB-: Conjugated Base
acid is any substance (molecule or ion)
Buffer Solutions
which can transfer a proton (H+ ion) to
another substance, in both a base is any Solutions that contain a weak acid and its
substance that can accept a proton. conjugate base, are called dissolutions
buffer, because do not manifest drastic
BRØNSTED-LOWRY acid: A substance
pH changes. If you add a small amount of
that can give H+.
OH- to a buffer solution, pH increases,
BRØNSTED-LOWRY BASE: A but not much, because the acid
substance that can accept H+. component of the buffer solution
neutralizes the added OH-. If a small
𝐻𝐴 + 𝐵 ↔ 𝐴− + 𝐻𝐵−
amount of H3O+ is added to a buffer
Knwing that: solution, decreases the pH, but not much,
because the basic component of the buffer
HA = Acid donor solution neutralizes to added H3O+.
B = Base receiver
The chemical species whose formulas
only differ in a proton they are known as
pairs acid conjugates. So, A- is the
conjugate base of the acid HA,
meanwhile HA is the conjugate acid of
the base A-. Similarly, B is the conjugate
Figure 1 Examples of Acids and its conjugated bases
base of the acid BH+ and BH+ is the
conjugate acid of the base B. Buffer solutions have great importance in
biological systems. For example, blood is
a buffer solution which can absorb the
acids and bases produced in biological
reactions. The pH of human blood is
carefully controlled and maintained at a
value very close to 7.4 thanks to the
conjugate acid-base pairs, mainly H2CO3
and its conjugate base, HCO3+. The
ability of the blood to carry oxygen
depends on the pH inside control 0.1 pH
units.
HENDERSON-HASSELBALCH
equation:
[𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒]
𝑝𝐻 = 𝑝𝐾𝑎 + log ( )
[𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑]
mixing the Acetic Acid with a
concentration of 0.8 N and the salt of
Sodium Acetate to get the specific pH of
4.0 in a volume of 50mL.
Other way used was mixing the solutions
of Acetic Acid 0.8N and the Sodium
Acetate 0.8N and complete the volume of
50mL with distillated water.
RESULTS:
 Using the solid salt of CH3COONa:
 Diluting the Acetic Acid 0.8N to
get 50mL.
V1 C1 = V2 C2

According to the Henderson-Hasselbalch 𝑉1 𝐶1

𝐶2 =
equation, the pH of a buffer solution has a 𝑉2
value close to the pKa, of weak acid, and
[𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒]
15𝑚𝐿 ∗ 0.8𝑁
only differs by the quantity 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( [𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑] ). 𝐶2 = = 0.24𝑁
50𝑚𝐿
[𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒] [𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒]
When [𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑]
= 1, then 𝑙𝑜𝑔 ( [𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑] ) = 0,  Calculation of the grams of
so the pH is equal to the pKa. sodium acetate required

The real importance of the Henderson- Using the HENDERSON-

Hasselbalch equation, especially in HASSELBALCH equation:
biochemistry, is indicating how pH ([𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎])
affects the percentage of dissociation of a 4.0 = 4.76 + log ( )
0.24𝑁
weak acid.
−0.76 = log([𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]) − log(0.24)
MATERIALS:
−1.38 = log([𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎])
For this practice we used reagents and
equipment found in the university, so we 10−1.38 = 10log([𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎])
have, pH-meter, pipettes, glass rod,
beakers, distilled water, Sodium Acetate 0.041 𝑁 = [𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]
and Acetic Acid. Grams of CH3COONa required:
METHOD: 𝑒𝑞 − 𝑔
0.041 ∗ 0.05𝐿 = 2.05 ∗ 10−3 𝑒𝑞 − 𝑔
𝐿
First started diluting 15mL of the Acetic
82.034𝑔𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎
Acid 0.8N to get a volume of 50mL and a 2.05 ∗ 10−3 𝑒𝑞 − 𝑔 ∗ ( 1𝑒𝑞−𝑔 𝐶𝐻3𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑎
)=
concentration of 0.24N. ⋯ 0.168𝑔 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎
The buffer solution was prepared with the  Mixing the 0.8 N solutions of Acetic
help of the Henderson-Hasselbalch and Acid and Sodium Acetate:
  Preparation 50mL of Sodium  There´s so many ways to prepare
Acetate 0.8N a buffer solution.
0.8
𝑚𝑒𝑞−𝑔 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎
∗ 50𝑚𝐿 (
82.034𝑔𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎
) =. ..
 The pH of the buffer solution
𝑚𝐿 1000 𝑚𝑒𝑞−𝑔 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑎
depends directly of the
.. concentrations taken and the
= 3.2813𝑔 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 𝑖𝑛 50𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 volumes too.

 Normality ratio of CH3COOH BIBLIOGRAPHY:

[0.8N] and CH3COONa [0.8N]  McMURRY E., J. y. (2009).
pKa of CH3COOH= 4.76 Química General. México D.F:
PEARSON EDUCACIÓN.
Using the HENDERSON-
HASSELBALCH equation:
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]
4.0 = 4.76 + log ( )
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻]
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]
−0.76 = log ( )
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻]
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]
−0.76 log( )
10 = 10 [𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻]

[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎]
0.17 =
[𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻]
This means that if 1mL of Acetic Acid
0.8N is taken, 0.17mL of Sodium acetate
must be taken to get a pH of 4.0.
 Preparation of 50 mL buffer
solution with 15 mL of Acetic
Acid [0.8N]
15𝑚𝐿 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 ∗ 0.17
= 2.55𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 [0.8𝑁]
15𝑚𝐿 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 + 2.55𝑚𝐿 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 + 32.45 𝐻2 𝑂 =

… 50𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS:
 The preparation of the buffer
solutions depends of the
calculations made to prepare it.
CONCLUSIONS: