In: Chemistry
You must make a sodium phosphate buffer (500 ml at 50 mM) at a pH
value of 6.8. Assume that the pKa is 7.0. MW oh NaH2PO4 = 138g/mol.
MW of NaH2PO4 = 268 g/mol
Show the weak acid base reaction with proper structures. use the Henderson/ Hasselbalch relationship to obtain molarity of each species. Calculate the grams of each salt required.
I have a little doubt, but I'm almost sure this is the correct answer:
You need a buffer of sodium phosphate, so the combination of sodium phosphate and H3PO4 must be equal to 50 mM:
[H2PO4-] + [HPO42-] = 50 mM or 0.05 M
The acid base reaction:
H3PO4 ----------> H2PO4- + H+
H2PO4- ----------> HPO42- + H+
HPO42- ----------> PO43- + H+
and the Henderson Hasselbach reaction is:
pH = pKa + log[H2PO4-] / [H3PO4]
With this equation we can obtaint the relation between the salt and acid:
7 = 6.8 + log[HPO4-] / [H2PO4]
7 - 6.8 = log[HPO4-] / [H2PO4]
100.2 = [HPO4-] / [H2PO4]
[HPO4-] / [H2PO4] = 1.5849
[HPO4-] = 1.5849 [H2PO4]
If [H2PO4-] + [HPO4] = 50 mM or 0.05 M, then:
1.5849 [H2PO4] + [H2PO4] = 0.05 M
2.5849 [H2PO4] = 0.05
[H2PO4] = 0.0193 M
Then: [HPO4-] = 1.5849 * 0.0193 = 0.0306 M
moles of HPO4- = 0.0306 * 0.5 = 0.0153 moles
moles of H2PO4 = 0.0193 * 0.5 = 0.00965 moles
Finally the mass:
mH2PO4- = 0.0153 * 138 = 2.1114 g
mHPO4 = 0.00965 * 268 = 2.5862 g
Hope this helps