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• State that a buffer solution can be made from a weak acid and a salt of the weak acid.
• Explain the role of the conjugate acid–base pair in an acid buffer solution.
Buffer Solutions
• A buffer solution is a mixture that minimises
• pH changes on the addition of small amounts of acid or base.
• No buffer solution can cope with the addition of large concentrations of acid or alkali.
• pH changes are minimised as long as some of the buffer solution remains.
• Buffers can be acidic or basic but we only need to be concerned with acid buffers.
Acidic buffers
• Are made from a mixture of• A weak acid HA• Its conjugate base, A-• E.g. sodium ethanoate in ethanoic acid.• The salt dissociates completely since it is
Making a buffer solution from a weak acid and a salt of the weak acid
Acidic buffers
• This results in an equilibrium mixture containing large concentrations of the undissociated acid, CH3COOH and its conjugate base, CH3COO- .
• The very large concentration of the base shifts the acid equilibrium LEFT, so the concentration of H+
(aq) ions is very small.• Adding acid• An increase in H+
(aq) concentration would rapidly lower the pH of water, but in the buffer it simply combines with the ethanoate ions and shifts the acid dissociation back to the LEFT.
• i.e. CH3COOH(aq) H+(aq) + CH3COO-
(aq) • ←
Acidic buffers
• The hydrogen ions are transferred to the ethanoate ions so that ethanoic acid is formed.
• So a moderate input of H+(aq) ions has a very
minimal effect on overall pH.• Adding Alkali• OH-
(aq) ions react with the H+(aq) ions present:
• H+(aq) + OH-
(aq) → H2O(l)
• Some of the acid dissociates, returning the [H+
(aq) ] to near its original concentration:• CH3COOH(aq) H+
• Interpret and sketch acid–base titration pH curves for strong and weak acids and bases.
• Explain the choice of suitable indicators for acid–base titrations.
pH or Titration Curves
• In an acid-base titration, a solution of an alkali of known concentration is added from a burette to a measured volume of an acid solution until an indicator shows that the acid has been neutralised.
• We can then work out the concentration of the acid from the volume of the alkali used.
• We can follow the neutralisation reaction by measuring with a pH meter (if we had one which still worked!)
• The result is a titration curve.
pH or Titration Curves
• The shapes of the curves obtained are typical of each possible combination of acid and base.
• As base is added to acid in a conical flask the pH changes, but not in a regular manner.
• There are effectively 3 sections to a titration curve.
• An initial slight rise in pH• A sharp rise in pH • A final slight rise in pH• You MUST be able to sketch and explain the
typical shapes obtained.
Equivalence Point
• The equivalence point in a titration corresponds to the point where the exact number of moles of OH- ions have been added as there are moles of H+ ions present.
• This corresponds to the mixing of the stoichiometric ratios from the balanced formula equation for the reaction.
• pH change is NOT directly proportional to the amount of alkali added.
• Both the acid and the base are fully dissociated.• At the beginning, as alkali is added the
PROPORTION of the hydrogen ions removed is small and causes a very small increase in pH.
• As the alkali is added the number of H+ ions removed increases as a total AND as a proportion so that there is a larger change in pH .
• This change is greatest near the equivalence point, where the curve is steepest.
• For this curve the equivalence point is at pH 7 because the conjugate acid and base are weak and do not affect the H+
(aq) + OH- (aq)→H2O(l) equilibrium.
Finding the Equivalence Point
• This is found from the mid point of the vertical section of the pH curve.
• This is 7 for a strong/strong titration.• This is about 8.9 for a weak acid with a
strong base.• For weak base/strong acid this point is
below 7• For weak/weak the pH changes steadily
but there is no vertical section and no sharp, obvious equivalence point.
Strong/Weak
• For strong acid/weak base the curve looks like the strong/strong curve at the beginning but the equivalence point is below 7 due to the fact that the pH of the base is relatively low.
• For weak acid/strong base the weak acid is little dissociated so the initial pH is higher than in the others and also as the alkali is added the increasing anion concentration leads to a buffering action so that pH change is slow. After the equivalence point the curve follows the pattern for strong/strong.
Choice of Indicators• Indicators are themselves weak acids .• Their dissociated and undissociated forms
have different colours.• Their dissociation can be represented as:• HIn H+ + In-
• They are useful as indicators if they change colour over a range of 1-2 pH units with a recognised end point somewhere in the middle. This is the point where the colour is between the 2 extremes of its colour and where the concentration of the 2 forms are equal.
Choice of Indicators For Titration• The colour of at least one form needs to be
intense so that 1 or 2 drops can be used to give a clearly visible change without affecting [H+].
• End point and equivalence point do not need to be the same but the result will be most precise when the 2 coincide or nearly do so.
• Suitable indicators change colour within the vertical section of a titration curve which often corresponds to the addition of a single drop of the base.
• For weak/weak reactions there is no suitable indicator because the colour change would be gradual.