Buffer Solution with an Example

A buffer is an aqueous solution made up of a weak acid and its salt (acid buffer) or a weak base and its salt (base buffer) (basic buffer). When a tiny quantity of strong acid or base is given to it, its pH varies very little, and it is therefore employed to keep a solution’s pH stable.

Buffer solutions are used in a wide range of chemical reactions. A buffer solution can be found in nature in the form of blood. In its natural condition, the pH of human blood is 7.4. Many people suffer from both alkalosis and severe anxiety. Alkalosis is a disorder characterised by an unusually high blood pH. Acidosis is defined as a condition in which the blood pH is lower than 7.4.Some chemical reactions can only take place at a specific pH. Other home and consumer goods, such as shampoo, must check their pH values to battle the soap’s alkalinity to avoid irritation, baby lotion must maintain a pH of approximately 6 to prevent bacteria proliferation, washing powder, eye drops, fizzy lemonade, and so on.

Types of Buffer Solution

Acidic and alkaline buffers are the two basic kinds of buffer solutions that are extensively characterised.

1.Acidic Buffers

These solutions are used to keep acidic surroundings acidic, as the name indicates. Acid buffer is made by combining a weak acid and its salt with a strong base to produce a buffer with an acidic pH. A pH of 4.74 is found in an aqueous solution of equal parts acetic acid and sodium acetate.

 -pH of less than 7.

 -made up of a weak acid and its salt.

 -A solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid (pH = 4.75), for example, is an acidic buffer solution.

2.Alkaline Buffers

Alkaline Buffers are a type of buffer that helps to keep the pH of

These buffer solutions are employed to keep things simple. A weak base and its salt are mixed with a strong acid to make a basic buffer, which has a basic pH.An aqueous solution of equal parts ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride has a pH of 9.25.

-pH greater than 7.

-contain a weak base and a weak base salt.

-A combination of ammonium hydroxide and ammonium chloride (pH = 9.25) is an example of an alkaline buffer solution.

Mechanism of Buffering Action:

Consider a buffer solution made by dissolving sodium acetate in acetic acid to learn how it works. In solution, sodium acetate dissociates to create the conjugate base CH3COO-acetate ions, whereas acetate acid has the formula CH3COOH.

CH3COOH (aq) + OH-(aq) → CH3COO-(aq) + H2O is the reaction equation (aq)

The acetate ion can be neutralised if this solution is mixed with a strong acid.

CH3COOH = CH3COO-(aq) + H+(aq) (aq)

It modifies the initial buffer reaction equilibrium, keeping the pH constant.

Preparation of Buffer Solution

There are a few ways to produce a buffer solution with a range of pH. Generate an acid and its conjugate base solution in the first method by dissolving the acid component of the buffer in roughly 60% of the water used to make the final volume of solution.

Instead, use a pH detector to assess the solution’s pH. Using a strong base like NaOH, the pH may be adjusted to the desired level. A strong acid, such as HCl, can be used to modify the pH if a base and its conjugate acid are employed to make the buffer. Dilute the solution to the final desired volume after the pH is correct.

We should additionally prepare solutions for the acid and basic forms of the solution. Both solutions must have the same amount of buffer as the final answer. To produce the final buffer, combine the two solutions while keeping track of the pH.

The Henderson-Hasselbach equation may be used to calculate the precise quantity of acid and conjugate base needed to produce a buffer of a specific pH:

pH = log|A||HA| + pKa

Conclusion 

Many chemical reactions are influenced by the acidity of the fluid in which they occur. For a specific reaction to occur or occur at a sufficient rate, the pH of the reaction medium must be adjusted. Buffer solutions, which are solutions that maintain a certain pH, allow this control. pH has a strong influence on biochemical processes. Most biological compounds include groups of atoms that can be charged or neutral depending on pH, and the charge or neutrality of these groups has a substantial impact on the biological activity of the molecule.

In all multicellular animals, the fluid within the cell and the fluids surrounding the cells have a distinct and nearly consistent pH. This pH is maintained in a variety of methods, one of the most significant of which is through buffer systems.