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Buffer quiz #3

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Terms in this set (13)

  • What components make up a buffer solution?
    A buffer solution comprises a weak acid and its conjugate base, or a weak base and its conjugate acid.
  • What is the function of a buffer in gel electrophoresis?
    In gel electrophoresis, a buffer maintains a stable pH and conducts electricity, ensuring that the separation of molecules occurs under consistent conditions.
  • What is a buffer in biological systems?
    In biology, a buffer is a solution that helps maintain a stable pH in biological fluids, such as blood or cytoplasm, by neutralizing added acids or bases.
  • What is a buffer used for in chemistry and biology?
    A buffer is used to maintain a stable pH in chemical and biological systems, preventing large changes in pH when acids or bases are added.
  • What helps to maintain the pH range in a solution?
    Buffers help to maintain the pH range in a solution by neutralizing added acids or bases.
  • What is true about pH buffers?
    pH buffers resist changes in pH when small amounts of acid or base are added to a solution.
  • How do buffers moderate changes in pH?
    Buffers moderate pH changes by reacting with added acids or bases, thereby minimizing the change in hydrogen ion concentration.
  • How does a buffer work to resist changes in pH?
    A buffer works by having a weak acid neutralize added base and its conjugate base neutralize added acid, keeping the pH relatively constant.
  • Summarize how buffers resist changes in pH.
    Buffers resist changes in pH by using a weak acid to neutralize added bases and a conjugate base to neutralize added acids, maintaining a stable hydrogen ion concentration.
  • How does a buffer help a solution maintain its pH?
    A buffer helps a solution maintain its pH by neutralizing added acids or bases through reactions with its weak acid and conjugate base components.
  • What is the ideal ratio of weak acid to conjugate base in a buffer for maximum effectiveness?
    The ideal buffer has equal concentrations of weak acid and conjugate base, but effective buffering occurs when their ratio is between 10:1 and 1:10.
  • What is buffer capacity and how is it affected?
    Buffer capacity is the ability of a buffer to neutralize added acid or base, and it increases with the concentration of the weak acid and conjugate base.
  • What equation is commonly used to calculate the pH of a buffer solution?
    The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, pH = pKa + log([conjugate base]/[weak acid]), is commonly used to calculate the pH of a buffer solution.