Chapter 18: Additional Aspects of Acid-Base Equilibria Introduction

Chapter 17 discussed the properties of acid and base solutions. In this chapter, we explore how to use those properties to control the pH of the solution. This is accomplished through mixtures of an acid and its conjugate base. Such mixtures are called "buffers." Buffer solutions tend to keep a constant pH even when a small amount of acid or base is added. Buffers are used a great deal not only in biological and biochemical work but also in personal-care products and medicines (think of the brand-name Bufferin). Furthermore, buffers are used by our bodies to help keep us healthy and our cells running at peak performance. One use of buffers in the body is discussed in the Focus On section entitled Buffers in Blood.

The calculations in this chapter are the same as those in the previous two chapters. Almost all equilibrium calculations are done in the same way. There are NO separate calculations for some imagined set of different types of problems. We can apply the ICE table to almost all of these equilibrium problems to help us identify the unknown and solve for it correctly.

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