A GUIDELINE FOR ACIDS, BASES, AND BUFFERS

1. How do I figure out the pH of a simple acid, base, or salt solution?

A strong acid A weak acid A salt in water

- log H+1 = pH
the acid dissociates
100%, so:
HCl = H+1 + Cl-1
– if the acid is .1M, the
H+1 will be .1M as well
Perform an ICE – the acid
only dissociates a small
amount – solve for H+1 using
the Ka:
HC3H5O2 = H+1 + C3H5O2-1
Salts react with water to
free up either H+1 or OH-1;
solve for the H+1 or OH-1
using a Ka or Kb for the salt:
X-1 + HOH = HX + OH-1

Or

X+1 + HOH = XOH + H+1

Notice the salt bonded to

H+1 or OH-1 taking it out of
solution

A strong base A weak base

- log OH-1 = pOH Perform an ICE – the base only

the base dissociates dissociates a small amount – solve for
100%, so: OH-1 using the Kb :
NaOH = Na+1 + OH-1 NH3 + HOH = NH4+1 + OH-1
– if the base is .1M, then Notice this weak base doesn’t naturally
the OH-1 will be .1M as contain OH-1; it creates it in small
well amounts from water
 A GUIDELINE FOR ACIDS, BASES, AND BUFFERS
2. How do I figure out the pH of a solution that has a reaction
between an acid and base?
A strong acid
reacted with a
strong base
The acid and base react normally – if
there are equal amounts of both, they
completely neutralize each other, and
the pH is 7 – if not, whatever
substance leftover will determine
your pH; for example, if 20 mL of .1M
NaOH react with 30 mL of .1M HCl,
there is 10 mL of .1M HCl left, and the
pH is determined from that.
Remember – we always use
concentration for pH, so if the
solution has been diluted because
two things have been added together,
a new concentration has to be
calculated.
A weak acid or base
reacting with a strong
acid or base
The acid and base react normally – if there are
equal amounts of both, they completely neutralize
each other – but the pH is not 7! The salt leftover
will react with water to free up either H+1 or OH-1 as
indicated above. Assume you have 2 moles of each
in a 1L solution:
HF + NaOH = HOH + NaF
There is no more HF or NaOH. The two moles of
NaF created, however, will then react with water as
follows:
NaF + HOH = NaOH + HF
An ICE can be set up solving for the amount of
NaOH; since NaOH is a strong base, NaF is
essentially releasing OH-1 ions into solution. A Kb
will have to be used for NaF since base, or OH-1, is
being created. The amount of OH-1 can be
determined, in order to figure out the pOH, and
then the pH.
Remember – we always use concentration for pH,
so if the solution has been diluted because two
things have been added together, a new
concentration has to be calculated.
 A GUIDELINE FOR ACIDS, BASES, AND BUFFERS

3. How do I figure out the pH of a solution that is a buffer?

A buffer, quite simply, can react with either an acid or base that is added to it to rid
itself of the acid or base, and prevent pH changes. This only works to an extent. It
must contain a weak acid or base, and its conjugate salt. Again - remember – we
always use concentration for equilibrium calculations, so if the solution has been
diluted because two things have been added together, a new concentration has to be
calculated.

An acid with its conjugate salt A base with its conjugate salt
– example: HF and NaF – example: NH3 and NH4Cl
 The fastest way to figure out the pH is by using
The fastest way to figure out the pH is by
the base version of the Henderson-Hasselbalch
using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation:
equation:
pH = pKa + log (X-/HX)
pOH = pKb + log (X+/XOH)
so:
so:
pH = pKa + log (F-1/HF)
pOH = pKb + log (NH4+1/NH3)
An ICE can also be performed using a Ka:
Remember, NH3 is not a traditional base, in the
form XOH – it is a base, however, because it
HF = H+1 + F-1
reacts with water to yield OH-1.
but the initial amount of F-1 is not zero, since
An ICE can also be performed using a Kb:
the NaF adds F-1 to the solution. Solve for
the H+1 concentration, and get pH. NOTE:
NH3 + HOH = NH4+1 + OH-1
since there is salt, or F-1 in the solution, it
will slow the breakup of the HF
but the initial amount of NH4+1 is not zero, since
the NH4Cl adds NH4+1 to the solution. Solve for
the OH-1 concentration, and get pOH, and then
get pH. NOTE: since there is salt, or NH4+1 in the
solution, it will slow the breakup of the NH3

A GUIDELINE FOR ACIDS, BASES, AND BUFFERS

 4. How do I figure out the pH of a solution that is a buffer, and something has
been added to the buffer to react with it?

These are the most difficult problems of all. If you have a buffer with something being
added to it, follow these three steps each time:

1. Will a chemical reaction result from the substance added? Meaning, will the
chemical added react with something in the buffer? This is almost assuredly
yes – because the buffer is designed to react with anything added and prevent
pH change.
2. After the chemical reaction is complete, what is left in the solution that can
affect pH?

a. Leftover acid or base: Write an equilibrium expression for the acid

or base interacting or dissolving in water to affect pH. Solve for the
amount of H+1 or OH-1 that can be produced in solution, and then
solve for pH or pOH.
b. Salt: If the titration used up all of the acid or base in your buffer,
then calculate the pH of the solution based on the reaction of the salt
reacting with water in a hydrolysis reaction – do an ICE to calculate
the amount of H+1 or OH-1 produced – then, calculate the pH or pOH.

3. Remember – we always use concentration for equilibrium calculations, so if

the solution has been diluted because two things have been added together, a
new concentration has to be calculated.

Let’s use the following reaction as a sample buffer problem:

Calculate the pH of a solution containing 25 mL of a .1M solution of ascorbic acid
(vitamin C, or HC6H7O6) and .1M sodium ascorbate if it is titrated by 10 mL of a .10 M
sodium hydroxide. Ascorbic acid has a Ka of 7.94 x 10-5.

1. Identify the two chemicals in the buffer – sometimes, in a titration, there is only
the acid or base in the solution at the beginning – and no salt -

.1M HC6H7O6, the acid, and .1M NaC6H7O6, or C6H7O6-1, the salt

2. If there is an acid or base that was added to your buffer, do a chemical reaction
with the part of the buffer that reacts with what was added:

HC6H7O6 + OH-1 → HOH + C6H7O6-1

HC6H7O6 = .025L x .1 mol/1L = .0025 mol HC6H7O6

NaOH = .010L x .1 mol/1L = .0010 mol HC6H7O6
That leaves 0 moles of NaOH, .0015 moles of HC6H7O6, and
creates .0010 moles of C6H7O6-1.

3. Then, write the reaction for the leftover acid or leftover base from the buffer
interacting or dissolving in water – in this case, there is leftover HC6H7O6:

HC6H7O6 → H+1 + C6H7O6-1

4. Calculate the pH of your solution based on the amount of leftover acid or base
from the buffer. Make sure you recalculate concentration! You can use ICE with
your buffer reaction from #2, or you can use the Henderson/Hasselbalch equation:

HC6H7O6 = .0025 mol/.035L = .071 M HC6H7O6 – the acid

C6H7O6-1 = .0010 mol created + .025L x .1mol/1L original =
.0035 mol C6H7O6-1/.035L = .1M C6H7O6-1 – the salt

pH = -logKa + log C6H7O6-1/ HC6H7O6 = -log (7.94 x 10-5) + log .1M/.071M =

pH = 4.10 + .1487 = 4.2487

5. If the titration used up all of the acid or base in your buffer, then calculate the pH
of the solution based on the salt reacting with water in a hydrolysis reaction – do
an ICE to calculate the amount of H+1 or OH-1 produced – then, calculate the pH:

C6H7O6-1 + HOH → HC6H7O6 + OH-1