In: Chemistry
4. Explain why each of the following would or would not be a good buffer system.
a. HCl/NaCl
b. NH4Cl/NH3
c. HC2H3O2/NH3
e. HONH3Br/HONH2
A "buffer" is a mixture of two
compounds that protects the pH of a solution from undergoing large
changes when small amounts of acid (in the form of hydroxonium ion
[H3O+]) or base (in the form of hydroxide ion
[OH-]) are added. Buffers usually contain a weak
acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate
acid. One of the two compounds in a buffering system acts
as a proton donor, releasing H+ when pH rises, and the
other as a proton acceptor, taking up H+ when pH
drops.
(a)
Since HCl is a strong acid - it would not make a buffer
solution.
(b) NH4Cl/NH3
NH3 is a weak acid and NH4Cl is its conugated acid. - Hence buffer system.
(c) CH3COOH/NH3
CH3COOH is a weak acid and NH3 is a base. Wouldn't be a good buffer
(e) HONH3Br/NH2OH
Hydroxylammonium bromide is an acid salt formed by hydroxylamine (HONH2) and hydrobromic acid (HBr).
In the solution first it dissociates;
HONH3Br(aq)
HONH3+(aq) + Br-(aq)
Then, HONH3+ ions hydrolyze;
HONH3+(aq) + H2O
HONH2 + H3O+(aq)
Dissocaiation of HONH2;
HONH2(aq) + H2O(l)
HONH3+(aq) + OH-(aq)
So a buffer system.