Acids Bases, Buffers and coacervates

1. Be able to define acids and bases based on H

+
acceptance or donation.
Strong acids and bases dissociate completely and irreversibly, while weak
acids and bases dissociate incompletely and reversibly. The pH meter
measures the potential difference !"# passing through a medium li$uid#
and calibrates that into pH readings.
%. Buffer systems resist a change in pH. &now that the pKa is the pH where
the buffer is dissociating into e$ual amounts of 've and +ve ions.
(. ) buffer graph has three important phases. The flat or plateau phase is
when the buffer is resisting a change in pH. ) polyprotic buffer has several
buffer action phases while a monoprotic has only one buffer action, plateau,
phase. )cetic acid, HC
2
H
3
O
2
is a monoprotic buffer while, !hosphoric acid,
H
3
PO
4,
is a polyprotic buffer. *onoprotic buffers release only one level of a
hydrogen per molecule+ hence capable of resisting a change in pH. ,t has
only one plateau, while as a polyprotic buffer can generate more than one
level of hydrogen capable of resisting a change in pH and has more than one
plateau in graphical representation.
-. .ote that a unit chane in pH from pH % to pH (, for instance, signifies a
tenfold reduction in the Hydrogen ion concentration /H
+
0. 1n the other
hand a change in pH from pH - to pH ( signifies a tenfold increase in the
/H
+
0.
2. The pKa of a buffer solution is the pH at which the buffer is generating
e!ual volumes of the "ea# acid and the salt of the acid. ) molecule at its
isoelectric point has two opposite charges located at different positions on
the molecule+ a positive +ve# and a negative 've# charge. Such molecules
do not usually take part in reactions.
3. 4nderstand that when macromolecules are at isoelectric point, they
cannot form coacervates because of having 5ero net charge. ,f, as a result of
a change in the pH of the system in which they occur, they have $ve or %ve
net charge then oppositely charged macromolecules can attract and form
coacervates.
1
Bioloically &mportant 'olecules (Oranic)
6. .ote that Bioloically &mportant 'olecules include carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
7arbohydrates can be reducin or non*reducin sugars. 8hile the test for
reducing sugars is the Benedict9s solution, the presence of non:reducing
sugars, like starch, is detected by iodine. The reddish:orange color, when
Benedict9s solution is added to an unknown solution, indicates the presence
of a reducing sugar. 1n the other hand a blue:black color when iodine is
added to an unknown solution indicates the presence of starch. Oil +ed O is
used to test for the presence of lipids. !igments in 1il ;ed 1 are absorbed
by lipids and other non*polar li$uids but not by polar solvents such as
water.
<. &now that the functional group is the component that influences the
reactions a molecule partakes in. The aldehyde and the #etone are the active
functional groups in reducing sugars.
=. .ote that reduction of Benedict9s solution means 7u
%+
changes to 7u
+
because the )ldehyde in the reducing sugar gives up a negative charge
which is accepted by 7u
%+
in the Benedicts solution.
1>. 4nderstand that a control can be either positive +ve# or negative :ve#.
8hen it is 've the component the e?periment sets to detect is not there and
when it is +ve the component the e?periment is set to detect is there.
%