The Henderson–Hasselbalch equation shows the correlation of the pKa and pH of the buffer solution. The pKa of a given acid, or the conjugate acid of the base, is constant and therefore, the only variable in the equation is the … Read more
The common ion effect is an example of the Le Châtelier’s principle when altering the equilibrium by changing the concentration of a component. Remember, adding a reactant produces more product by shifting the equilibrium to the right, and adding a product, … Read more
In the previous post, we talked about the pH of buffer solutions and the two approaches to calculating it. Let’s now discuss how to prepare a buffer with a given pH. So, we need to choose a proper acid/base pair … Read more
The Henderson–Hasselbalch equation relates the pH of a buffer solution to the initial concentration of its components. Let’s say we have a buffer containing the generic weak acid HA and its conjugate base A–. The dissociation of the acid can … Read more
There are two ways of calculating the pH of a buffer solution; the equilibrium approach and the one using the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation. The latter is shorter and is used more often. However, let’s start with the equilibrium approach so that … Read more
Most solutions change the pH when an acid or a base is added to them. However, for certain reactions and processes, it is necessary to have a system that keeps the pH constant when a certain amount of an acid … Read more
In the previous post couple of posts, we learned how to determine whether the solution of a salt is going to be acidic or basic, and calculate the pH of a salt solution. In short, if the salt is made … Read more
In the previous post, we learned how to determine whether the solution of a salt is going to be acidic or basic depending on how it was prepared. In short, there is only one step to do this and that … Read more
First, recall that a salt is an ionic compound formed by the reaction between an acid and a base where the acid provides the anion, and the base brings the cation to the salt. HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) … Read more
Polyprotic acids have more than one dissociable proton, and they dissociate in a stepwise manner. Each dissociation step is characterized by its own acid-dissociation constant, Ka1, Ka2, and so forth. For example, the carbonic acid is a weak, polyprotic acid … Read more
