Acids and Bases

Concept of pH , pOH , pH
calculations and Buffers

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 Objectives
 To understand the concept of pH and pOH

 To calculate the pH and pOH

 To understand the concept of buffers
 To calculate the capacity of buffers

 To let them able to know that where buffers are used

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 pH
 pH is the measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a
solution.
 pH is measured on a log scale.
 pH = - log[H+]
 pH is used to indicate the degree of acidity or alkalinity
(basic) of a solution.
 A solution is of a water solvent (polar) 

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 Continued
 When there is a high [H+], the solution is acidic.

 On the other hand when the [H+] concentration is low, the

solution is basic.
 So if there is a high [H+], there must be a low [OH-]
 If there is a low [H+], there must be a high [OH-]

  Pure water should have a neutral pH, due to have equal

amounts of [H+] & [OH-]. 

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 Continued
 How to Figure it out?

 If you were given HCl with a concentration of 0.003M, what

would be the pH?
 pH = -log [H+]
 pH = -log[0.003M]

 pH = 2.52
 pH will not have a unit!!! 

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Continued

Figure 1
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 Continued
 How does pH and pOH relate?

 pH and pOH relate in the following way

 pH + pOH = 14
 pOH is the measure of the [OH-], in a solution. What would be
the pOH of an solution with a pH of 5.75?
 pOH = 14 - 5.75
 pOH = 8.25

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 How to Calculate pH
 What is the pH and pOH of an solution with [H+] of 3.33 X
10-9 M?
 solve for pH
 pH = -log [H+]
 pH = - log[3.33 X 10-9 M]

 pH = 8.48 2nd  solve for pOH pOH = 14 – pH pOH = 14 -

8.48 pOH = 5.52

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 Continued
 2nd

 solve for pOH

 pOH = 14 – pH
 pOH = 14 - 8.48

 pOH = 5.52

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 Continued
 Sample Problem 2

 What is the [H+] of a solution with a pOH of 4.14?

 1st determine pH
 pH = 14 – pOH

 pH = 14 – 4.14
 pH = 9.86

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 Continued
 2nd determine [H+] (basic)

 [H+] = 10 (-pH)
 [H+] = 10 (-9.86)
 [H+] = 1.38 X 10 -10 M

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 Buffer Solution
 What is buffer?

 Buffers are compounds or mixtures of compounds that by their

presence in the solution resist changes in the pH upon the
addition of small quantities of acid or alkali.
 Types of buffers:
 Generally buffers are of two types
 Acidic buffers
 Basic buffers

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 Continued

 Acidic Buffers: An acidic buffer is a combination of

weak acid and its salt with a strong base. i.e. Weak acid & salt
with strong base (conjugate base).
 EXAMPLES:
 CH3COOH / CH3COONa
 H2CO3 / NaHCO3

 H3PO4 / NaH2PO4

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 Continued

Basic Buffers:
A basic buffer is a combination of weak base and its salt with a
strong acid. i.e. Weak base & salt with strong acid (conjugate
acid). EXAMPLES:
NH4OH / NH4Cl
NH3 / NH4Cl
NH3 / (NH4)2CO3

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 Continued

 Phosphate Buffers (Double salt buffers):

Besides the two general types of buffers (i.e. acidic & basic), a
third appears to exist.
 This is buffer system composed of two salts:
 Monobasic potassium phosphate (KH2PO4)
 Dibasic potassium phosphate (K2HPO4).

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 Necessity of a buffer system:
 Sometimes it is necessary that a solution of a definite pH be
prepared and stored.
 The preservation of such a solution is even more difficult than
its preparation.
 If solution comes in contact with air, it will absorb CO2 and
becomes acidic.

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 Continue…
 On the other hand, if solution is stored in a glass bottle,
alkaline impurities from the glass may alter its pH. Due to
these reasons, pharmaceutical solutions are buffered as the
buffer solutions are capable of maintaining pH 

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 BUFFER EQUATION
 BUFFER EQUATION (HENDERSON-HESSELBALCH
EQUATION) When salt and weak acid have common ion
 E.g. Sodium acetate + Acetic acid
 For acid pH = pKa + Log [Salt]/[Acid]
 For base pH = pKw - pKb + Log [Salt]/[Acid]

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 Factors Affecting Buffer Solution
 Addition of neutral salts…. changes pH by altering ionic
strength Dilution … as it changes ionic strength
Temperature… pH increases with increase in pH for acetate
buffers
 BUFFER CAPACITY:
 The buffer capacity of a buffer solution is “a measure of its
magnitude of its resistance to change in the pH on an addition
of an acid or a base.”
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 Continued
 Buffer capacity can be measured quantitatively that how much
extra acid or base the solution can absorb before the buffer is
essentially destroyed. Buffer capacity is determined by the
sizes of actual molarities of its components.so a chemist must
decide before making the buffer solution what outer limits of
change can be tolerated.
 Lets do some calculations to check the effectiveness of buffer
system.

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 Continued
Henderson equation is used to determine the capacity of a buffer
 For acid pH = pKa + Log [Salt]/[Acid]
 For base pH = pKw - pKb + Log [Salt]/[Acid]
• By putting the concentration of salts and acids we can
calculate the pH of buffer.

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 Uses of buffer
 Buffers are important in many areas of chemistry as:

 Molecular biology
 Microbiology
 Cell biology

 Soil science
 Nutrition and clinical analysis

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Applications of buffers in our daily
life
 In shampoos.
 Many shampoos use a citric acid/sodium citrate shampoo to
maintain a slightly acidic "pH balance".
 This counteracts the basicity of the detergents present in the
shampoo.
 In baby lotions.
 Baby lotions are buffered to a pH of about 6.
 This hinders the growth of bacteria within the diaper.

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 Pick the correct Answer
1)An acidic buffer is a combination of
a) Weak acid/ strong base b) Weak acid/ weak base
c) Strong acid/ Strong base d)Strong acid/ Weak Base

2)When there is a high [H+] the solution is:

a)Acidic b) basic
c) Alkaline d) neutral

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 References
•  https://www.thoughtco.com/what-does-ph-stand-for-608888
•  International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (1993). 
Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, 2nd
edition, Oxford: Blackwell Science.
• https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Inorganic_Che
mistry/Acid-Base_Chemistry

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Thank You !

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