SUMMARY OF BUFFER SOLUTION

1. A buffer solution is an aqueous solution that can maintain the pH of a system

within a specified range when a small amount of acid or base is added, or when
the system diluted.

2. A buffer solution has acid and base components that generally take the form of
conjugate acid-base pairs : weak acid and its conjugate base (HA/A-) or
weak base and its conjugate acid (B/BH+)

3. The equilibrium of acid and base components in buffer solutions.

 Buffer solution HA/A- is composed of weak acid (HA) and its salt (MA).
HA(aq)  H+(aq) + A-(aq)
Acid component Base component
from weak acid HA from salt MA

 Buffer solution B/BH+ is composed of weak base (B) and its salt (BHA).
B (aq) + H2O  BH+(aq) + OH-(aq)
Base component Acid component
from weak base B from salt BHA

4. The buffer capacity of a solution refers to their ability to resist changes in pH

upon the addition of acid/base or dilution. The capacity of a buffer solution is
determined by the concentrations of the acid and base component and
their concentration ratio. The optimum capacity is obtained when the
concentration of the acid and base component are the same equimolar.

5. Preparing buffer solutions HA/A- and B/BH+

Buffer solution HA/A- Buffer solution B/BH+

Weak acid + its salt Weak base + its salt
Excess weak acid + Strong base Excess weak base + Strong acid
Excess salt of weak acid + Strong acid Excess salt of weak base + Strong base

6. Important buffer system in human bodies: haemoglobin, phosphate

H2PO4-/HPO42-, and carbonate H2CO3/HCO3-

7. The Henderson – Hasselbalch Equation

Buffer solution HA/A- Buffer solution B/BH+
pH = pKa – log
[ HA ] pOH = pKb – log
[B ]
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8. The way buffer solution work upon the addition of a small amount of acid or
base or when dilution takes place.
Buffer solution HA/A- Buffer solution B/BH+
Adding a small The acid H+ added will be The acid H+ added will be neutralized
amount of acid neutralized by the base component, by the base component, B.
(H+) A-
H+ + B  BH+
+ -
H + A  HA Acid Base component
Acid Base component Being of buffer solution
Being of buffer solution added
added
Adding a small The base OH- added will be The base OH- added will be
amount of base neutralized by the acid component, neutralized by the acid component,
(OH-) HA BH+

OH- + HA  A- + H2O OH- + BH+  B + H2O

Base Acid component Base Acid component
Being of buffer Being of buffer
Added solution Added solution
Dilution (adding Dilution will affect the moles of H+ Dilution will affect the moles of H+
H2O) (H3O+) and OH- in the system, which (H3O+) and OH- in the system, which
will cause a shift in the buffer will cause a shift in the buffer
solution equilibrium. The effects of solution equilibrium. The effects of
dilution can be observed only if the dilution can be observed only if the
value of Ka is relatively large and the value of Kb is relatively large and the
concentrations of the components are concentrations of the components are
very small. very small.