WHAT IS A BUFFER?

A buffer is a solution which has a very stable pH and is

aqueous in nature. If an acidic or basic substance is added to
the buffer solution, the buffer will resist any pH changes, i.e.
the pH of the buffer will not change or will experience very
little/negligible change.

An acidic buffer has a pH of 7 or less and is usually made of a

weak acid and a salt which has an ion in common with said
acid.
E.g. A buffer solution of ethanoic acid and sodium ethanoate
will have excess ethanoate ions.

An alkaline buffer solution has a pH of 7 or above. It is

usually made up of a weak base and a salt that has a common
ion with said base.
E.g. A buffer solution of ammonia and ammonium chloride
will have excess ammonium ions.
 WHY IS WATER NOT A GOOD BUFFER?

Water doesn't have a large Kw (dissociation constant), hence

the equilibrium of the dissociation reaction lies on the far
left.

H2O H+ + OH-

Buffers work because there is an anion or cation present that

can react with either H+ or OH- to reduce that concentration,
since there is very little H+ or OH- ions from water in solution,
the added anion or cation present will not be able sufficiently
react with those ions for a pH to be maintained because there
will not be enough H+ or OH- ions to react.

E.g.
Acid added to water
HCN(aq) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + CN-(aq)
Here, the pH of the solution is lowered, as HCN(aq) donates its
H ion (proton) to H2O(l).

E.g.
Base added to water
NH3(aq) + H2O(l) NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)
Here, the pH of the solution is raised, as NH3(aq) accepts the H
ion (proton) from the H2O(l).