Themes > Science > Chemistry > Inorganic Chemistry > Acids and Bases > Acids and Bases Index > Buffer


A buffer is a solution containing both a weak acid and its conjugate base. The conjugate base is added as a salt of the conjugate base: for example, to make an acetic acid buffer you would add acetic acid and sodium acetate to water.

Buffers are valuable since they resist change in pH when acids or bases are added to the buffer solution. This is because the weak acid and its conjugate base can react with both acid or base

  • HA(aq) + OH-(aq) -> A-(aq) + H2O(l)
  • A-(aq) + H+(aq) -> HA(aq)
Both of these reactions have large equilibrium constants.


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