What is buffer, and why does it stay at the same pH no matter how much acid or base you add?
by 
KevinW42
ANSWERS: 1
-
A buffered solution will not "stay the same no matter how much acid or base you add" Eventually if you add enough base or acid, the buffering ability of the buffer will be expended in a particular direction, and additional base or acid will start to knock the pH toward Acid or Base. If you look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_solution#Illustration_of_buffering_effect:_Sodium_acetate.2Facetic_acid You will see that the addition of an acid or base to the buffer solution shifts the equilibriums of dissociation of OH- or H+ Ions from the buffer agent. The ions that dissociate from the buffer then mop up the excess OH- or H+ ions from the introduction of the Base or Acid. That's a very simplified explanation, so much so that it may not be technically correct any more. I suggest you look around for websites or textbooks with Beginners Chemistry notes and problems, until you get a good idea of what's going on. Edit: Bloody firefox correcting my spelling to make it wrong!
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC