A buffer solution is a solution that can resist pH change upon the addition of an acidic or basic component/Acids_and_Bases/Buffers/Introduction_to_Buffers). It is composed of a weak acid and its conjugate base, or a weak base and its conjugate acid. Buffers are important for processes and reactions that require specific and stable pH ranges, as they can neutralize small amounts of added acid or base, thus maintaining the pH of the solution relatively stable/Acids_and_Bases/Buffers/Introduction_to_Buffers). The working pH range and capacity of a buffer solution dictate how much acid/base can be neutralized before pH changes, and the amount by which it will change/Acids_and_Bases/Buffers/Introduction_to_Buffers).
The key features of a buffer solution include:
- Working pH range and capacity: The range of pH values over which the buffer can maintain a relatively stable pH, and the amount of acid or base that can be neutralized before the pH changes/Acids_and_Bases/Buffers/Introduction_to_Buffers).
- Weak acid and conjugate base, or weak base and conjugate acid: The components that make up the buffer solution and allow it to resist changes in pH.
- Law of Mass Action and Le Chateliers Principle: The principles that explain how buffers work by shifting the equilibrium between the weak acid and its conjugate base, or the weak base and its conjugate acid, to resist changes in pH.
Buffer solutions are used in a wide variety of chemical applications, including fermentation, food preservatives, drug delivery, electroplating, printing, and enzyme activity. In nature, many living systems use buffering for pH regulation, such as the bicarbonate buffering system in blood and the ocean.
Overall, buffer solutions are important tools in chemistry for maintaining specific and stable pH ranges, and they work by neutralizing small amounts of added acid or base to resist changes in pH.
