Acids, Bases & Buffers

Weak vs. Strong Bases

 Weak Bases: ammonia; potassium
carbonate, sodium carbonate
 Strong Bases: sodium hydroxide; sodium
phosphate; barium hydroxide; calcium
hydroxide

Types of Acids and Bases

• In the 1800’s chemical concepts were based on
the reactions of aqueous solutions.
• Svante Arrhenius developed a concept of acids
and bases relevant to reactions in H2O.
 Arrhenius acid – produces hydrogen
ions in water.
 Arrhenius base – produce hydroxide
ions in water.
A broader ,more modern concept of acids
and bases was developed later.

 Bronsted-Lowry acid- donates a

Acids Generate Ions hydrogen ion in a reaction.
 Bronsted – Lowry base – accepts a
hydrogen in a reaction.
 Conjugate acid- compound formed when
an base gains a hydrogen ion.
 Conjugate base – compound formed
when an acid loses a hydrogen ion.
Buffers
 A buffer is a solution that resists changes
in pH when small amounts of acids and
bases are added. pH paper
 pH paper changes color to indicate a
specific pH value.

Sample Problems
1. Calculate the pOH of the solution with a
pH of 4.5
 pOH=? pOH + pH = 14
 pOH = pH – 4.5
 pOH = 14-4.5
 pOH = 9.5
Situations in which pH is controlled 2. Compute for the (H+) of the solution with
 “Heartburn” the pH equivalent to 0.0001 M
 Planting vegetables and flowers  Convert 0.0001M to scientific notation
 Fish Tanks and Ponds  x 10 -4
 Blood  pH = -log(H+)
 Swimming pools  pH = -(-4) pH = 4.0
3. Converting (H+) to (OH)
 What is the (OH) of the solution with
and(H+) equal to 3.37 x 10 -13 M?
 x 10 -14 = (H) x (OH)
 (OH) = 1.0 x 10 -14 M / 3.37 x 10 -13M
 (OH) = 2.98 x 10 -2 M

The body produces more acids than bases 43

 Acids take in with foods
 Acids produced by metabolism of lipids and
proteins
 Cellular metabolism produces CO2
 CO2 + H20 ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H+ + HCO2