Buffer and Noncovalent Interactions Practice Problems

1. What is the final pH of a solution made by mixing 100 ml of 0.05 M acetic acid and 100 ml of 0.1
M sodium acetate? Assume the pKa for acetic acid is 4.76.

2. Describe the preparation of 1000 ml of a 0.2 M acetate buffer pH 5. Assume the pKa of acetic
acid is 4.76.

3. Describe the preparation of 1000 ml of a 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.2 starting with 0.5 M
-
H3PO4 and 0.5 M NaOH. Assume the following pKas: H3PO4 H2PO4 = 2.2;
-
H2PO4 HPO4-2 = 6.8; HPO4-2 PO4-3 = 12.4.

4. For a solution that is 0.08 M K2HPO4 and 0.12 M KH2PO4, calculate the concentrations of
-
H3PO4, H2PO4 , HPO4-2, PO4-3; H+, OH-, and K+. Use the pKas given above.

5. Match the letter of the interaction ( indicated by :::::) to the number giving the correct
description of the interaction:
+ -
A. CH3CH2NH3 ::::: OC(O)CH2CH3 ______ 1. Ion-Dipole
+
B. CH3CH2NH3 :::::O=(CH2)2 ______ 2. Hydrogen Bond
C. H-O-H ::::: O=(CH2)2 ______ 3. Ion-Ion

6. At an air-water interface amphipathic molecules are aligned

A. With the hydrophobic tail in the water and the polar head group in the air
B. With the polar head group in the water and the hydrocarbon tail in the air.
C. Amphipathic molecules are freely soluble in water and do not accumulate at the air-water
interface.

5. The pKa for a typical long chain fatty acid is about 5.0. Explain why long chain fatty acids can
form micelles in solutions whose pH is greater than 7, but are insoluble in solutions whose pH is
below about 4.

6. Do you expect the strength of a hydrogen bond to be greater in a solvent of high dielectric
constant like water or a solvent of low dielectric constant like ethanol?

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 Buffer and Noncovalent Interactions Practice Problems ANSWERS

1. What is the final pH of a solution made by mixing 100 ml of 0.05 M acetic acid and 100 ml of 0.1
M sodium acetate? Assume the pKa for acetic acid is 4.76.
Answer:
100mlof0.05Maceticacid=5mmol.
100mlof0.1Msodiumacetate=10mmol.
UsingtheHendersonHasselbalchequation
pH=pKa+log{[acetate]/[aceticacid]}.
pH=4.76+log{[10]/[5]}.
pH=5.06

2. Describe the preparation of 1000 ml of a 0.2 M acetate buffer pH 5. Assume the pKa of acetic
acid is 4.76.
Answer:
Aceticacid+acetate=0.2M
UsingtheHendersonHasselbalchequation,pH=pKa+log{[acetate]/[aceticacid]}.
5.0=4.76+log{[acetate]/[aceticacid]}.
[acetate]/[aceticacid]=1.74/1,so[acetate]asafractionoftotal(aceticacid+acetate)=
1.74/2.74=0.635.
Therefore,[acetate]=0.635x0.2Mtotal=0.127M;and[aceticacid]=0.073M.
Topreparethebuffer:
Take800mlofwaterandadd0.2moleofaceticacid.
Add127mlof1.0MNaOHtoproduce0.127Msodiumacetate.
Addwaterto1000ml.

3. Describe the preparation of 1000 ml of a 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.2 starting with 0.5 M
-
H3PO4 and 0.5 M NaOH. Assume the following pKas: H3PO4 H2PO4 = 2.2;
-
H2PO4 HPO4-2 = 6.8; HPO4-2 PO4-3 = 12.4
Answer:
Thetotalphosphateis100mM=200mlof0.5MH3PO4.
-
AtpH7.2,thetwopredominantformsofphosphatewillbeH2PO4 andHPO4-2.
-
TheratioofHPO4-2 toH2PO4 iscalculatedfromtheHendersonHasselbalchequation:
-
7.2=6.8+log{[HPO4-2]/[H2PO4 ]},
-
whichmeansthat[HPO4-2]/[H2PO4 ]=2.5/1.
- -
Thesumof[HPO4-2]+[H2PO4 ]=100mMand[HPO4-2]/[H2PO4 ]=2.5/1.
-
Therefore,[HPO4-2]=(2.5/3.5)x100mM=71.4mMand[H2PO4 ]=28.6mM.
Topreparethebuffer
Take200mlof0.5MH3PO4.
-
Add200mlof0.5MNaOHtoconvertalltheH3PO4toH2PO4 .
Add142.8ml0f0.5MNaOHtomake71.4mMHPO4-2.
Addwaterto1000ml.

BufferandNoncovalentInteractionsProblems,Page2
4. For a solution that is 0.08 M K2HPO4 and 0.12 M KH2PO4, calculate the concentrations of
-
H3PO4, H2PO4 , HPO4-2, PO4-3; H+, OH-, and K+. Use the pKas given above.
Answer:
-
[H2PO4 ]=0.12M(theinitialvalue)
[HPO4-2]=0.08M(theinitialvalue)
pH=6.8+log{[0.08]/[0.12]}=6.62
[H+]=2.4x107M
[OH]=(1x1014M2/2.4x107M)=4.17x108M
- -
ForH3PO4:pH=pKa+log{[H2PO4 ]/[H3PO4]};6.62=2.2+log{[H2PO4 ]/[H3PO4]};
-
[H2PO4 ]/[H3PO4]=2.63x104;Therefore,[H3PO4]=4.56x106M.
ForPO4-3:pH=pKa+log{[PO4-3]/[HPO4-2]};6.62=12.4+log{[PO4-3]/[HPO4-2]};
[PO4-3]/[HPO4-2]=1.66x106;therefore,[PO4-3]=1.32x107M.
K+=0.12M+2x0.08M=0.28M

5. Match the letter of the interaction ( indicated by :::::) to the number giving the correct
description of the interaction:
+ -
A. CH3CH2NH3 ::::: OC(O)CH2CH3 ______ 1. Ion-Dipole
+
B. CH3CH2NH3 :::::O=(CH2)2 ______ 2. Hydrogen Bond
C. H-O-H ::::: O=(CH2)2 ______ 3. Ion-Ion
Answer: 1 = B; 2 = C, 3 = A

6. At an air-water interface amphipathic molecules are aligned

A. With the hydrophobic tail in the water and the polar head group in the air
B. With the polar head group in the water and the hydrocarbon tail in the air.
C. Amphipathic molecules are freely soluble in water and do not accumulate at the air-water
interface.
Answer: B

7. The pKa for a typical long chain fatty acid is about 5.0. Explain why long chain fatty acids can
form micelles in solutions whose pH is greater than 7, but are insoluble in solutions whose pH is
below about 4.
Answer:
For the fatty acid to form a micelle it must have a charged polar head group. This will only occur
-
when the carboxyl group has ionized, i.e., COOH COO + H+ , and this will only occur at pH
values higher than the pKa .

8. Do you expect the strength of a hydrogen bond to be greater in a solvent of high dielectric
constant like water or a solvent of lower dielectric constant like ethanol?
Answer:

BufferandNoncovalentInteractionsProblems,Page3
The hydrogen bond is electrostatic in nature and should therefore be stronger in a solvent of low
dielectric constant. Coulombs Law states that the strength of electrostatic interactions varies
inversely with the dielectric constant.

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