Acids, Bases, and

Buffers

Strong Acid and Strong Base

Acid: compound that has a hydrogen ion that it can give
up to the solution

HA

H+ + A-

Base: compound that yields hydroxyl ion when dissolved

in water

BOH

B+ + OH-

Strength of an acid
Equilibrium constant or dissociation constant
Tendency to lose protons

Ka =

[H+] [A-]
[HA]

Weak Acid
Doesnt dissociate completely in water

HA

H+ + A-

pKa = - logKa

CH3COOH

pKa

CH3COO- + H+

Buffers
solutions

containing a weak acid and its conjugated

base, capable of resisting changes in pH

OH-

CH3COOH

H2 O
CH3COO-

H+

 Relationship

between pH, pKa, and buffer concentration

Henderson-Hasselbach equation
pKa
+
log
[A
]
pH =
[HA]

Using 0.001mol HAc and 0.002mol NaAc, bring the

volume up to 100mL. What is the pH? (HAc pKa=4.76)

Effect of Temperature on Buffers

Compound

MW

pKa at 20oC

pKa/oC

Boric Acid

61.8

9.24

-0.018

Tris-HCl

157.6

8.30

-0.031

Effect of Concentration on Buffers

50X

dilution of 50 to 1

More charged the species the greater is the change

Some buffers will show a pH increase and others will
show a decrease
pH Adjusted at working concentration

How we make buffers

Titration of acid with strong base

Make 100mL of phosphate buffer 0.1M pH=6.0

50mL of 0.2M Na2H2PO4
Add NaOH until correct pH
Water until volume is 100mL
Check pH again

 You prepared a buffer consisting of 4.083g

of sodium acetate (FW:136.1) and 20mL
of a 1M solution of acetic acid (pKa=4.86)
in a final volume of 200mL. What will be
the change in the pH if you add 3mL of
0.1M HCl?