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2. Weighing balance
3. Vials
4. Beaker
5. Graduated cylinder
6. Volumetric Flask
7. Plastic Bottles
B. Chemicals used and its properties:
Structure
1. Acetic Acid
2. Sodium
Acetate
3. NaH2PO4
4. Na2HPO4
Properties/Uses
Acetic acid is a monocarboxylic acid because it
contains only one COOH group. It has a sour
taste and pungent smell. It is the main component
of vinegar. Vinegar is typically 3-7% solution of
acetic acid in water. Vinegar is mainly used as a
preservative in food and in the pickling of
vegetables. Water free acetic acid is known as
glacial acetic acid.
Sodium acetate is the sodium salt of acetic acid. It
has the chemical formula C2H3O2Na and is also
known as sodium ethanoate. It is an inexpensive
chemical that has a wide range of uses, including
as a food additive and pickling agent or a
laboratory reagent. It is also the prime ingredient in
portable, reusable, chemical-based heating packs.
Monosodium phosphate (NaH2PO4), also known
as anhydrous monobasic sodium phosphate and
sodium dihydrogen phosphate, is an inorganic
compound of sodium with
dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-) anion. One of
many sodium phosphates, it is a common industrial
chemical. It exists as an anhydrous salt, as well as
mono- and dihydrates.
Disodium hydrogen phosphate is used as an in
conjunction with trisodium phosphate in foods and
water treatment. In foods, it is used to adjust pH.
Its presence prevents coagulation in the
preparation of condensed milk. Similarly, it is used
as an anti-caking additive in powdered products.
The pH of disodium hydrogen phosphate water
solution is between 8.0 and 11.0, meaning it is
moderately basic
5. NaCl
6. NaOH
Buffer 1
Buffer 2
Buffer 3
Buffer 4
Electrometric
4.4
5.6
7.8
8.6
Buffer 1
Buffer 2
pH with NaCl
3.5
Diluted pH value
5.5
pH/C
5.8
Buffer 3
Buffer 4
6.9
8.3
8.9
pH
9.4
11.5
13.9
16.1
18.3
Buffer Capacity
0.09
0.07
0.06
0.06
0.05
a. Is the buffer capacity a fixed value for the given buffer system? Justify your answer based on
your tabulated results.
No. It depends on the amount of base or acid added.
b. What is the effect of increasing concentration of NaOH as increments of the base added?
With the addition of more NaOH, the buffer capacity decreases rapidly.
3. What is the ratio of bicarbonate to carbonic acid in normal blood with a pH of 7.4? (pKa
H2CO3 = 6.36)
20:1
V. CONCLUSION
Upon the completion of the experiment we learned that buffers are solutions that resist
the change in pH when small amounts of an acid or base is added. It is made of a weak acid
and its conjugate base. A weak acid and its conjugate base can remain in solution without
neutralizing each other.
When hydrogen ions are added to a buffer, they will be neutralized by the base in the
buffer. Hydroxide ions will be neutralized by the acid. These neutralization reactions will not
have much effect on the overall pH of the buffer solution. This is how buffer works.
Buffers are important in our body. Reactions inside the human body take place in the
blood plasma. These reactions might fail to happen if the pH changes. For complete reaction to
take place, the pH of the blood should remain constant. Biochemical reactions are quite
sensitive to the nature of blood. The reaction inverts by changes in the pH of blood. However,
these buffers generally prevent such mishap. These changes also affect the biological activity of
a human being.
There are several buffer systems in our body but probably the most important is the
bicarbonate buffer system. The pH of human blood must be maintained between ranges of 7.07.8. For example, when you drink a soda, its acid neutralizes the small of base in your blood.
The remaining acid in the soda causes the pH of your blood to decrease rapidly to a pH of about
5. Because the enzymes in your body don't work well at a pH of 5, you die a horrible death. But
thanks to our blood which is a very effective buffer, it can stabilize our bodys pH.
VI. REFERENCES
Charmaine, M. (2011). Importance of buffer solution. Retrieved November 24, 2014 from
http://www.ehow.com/about_6637932_importance-buffer-solution.html.
Helmenstine, A.M. (2014). What are buffers and what do they do? Retrieved November 24,
2014 from http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbase1/a/buffers.htm.
Gharaibeh, S. (2013). Factors affecting pH of buffer solutions. Retrieved November 24, 2014
from http://phcalculator.blogspot.com/2013/06/factors-affecting-ph-of-buffersolutions.html.
Mohan, C. Buffers: A guide for the preparation and use of buffers in biological systems. San
Diego, California: Calbiochem