Practice question · Sort into groups
Sort each action by its effect on a buffer solution.
Groups: Barely changes the pH · Destroys the buffering ability
- Adding enough strong base to consume all the weak acid
- Adding a small amount of strong base
- Diluting the buffer with water
- Adding a small amount of strong acid
Hints
- A buffer works only while both components are present in useful amounts.
- Dilution preserves the ratio; exhausting one component does not.
Show the answer
Barely changes the pH: Adding a small amount of strong acid, Adding a small amount of strong base, Diluting the buffer with water
Destroys the buffering ability: Adding enough strong base to consume all the weak acid
Why
Small additions are absorbed by the conjugate pair and dilution preserves the ratio. Once one component is fully consumed there is nothing left to absorb further additions, and the pH then moves sharply.
Practise Buffers, Hydrolysis and Titration
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