Jonathan Khan May 30, 2011

Ms. Crowley Equilibrium in Solutions of Weak Acids and Weak Bases – Buffer Solutions

1. Why did solution C listed in table I result in the slowest reaction? Use Le Châtlier’s principle to to

explain qualitatively the difference between [H3O+] in solution A and solution B.

a. For our lab group solution c produced the fastest reaction time. However what should have

happened was that it should have produced the longest reaction time. This is because the

presence of more buffer, prohibited the disassociation of more acid to release more H+.

According to Le Châtlier’s principle, a reaction will move in the direction of the shift. Therefore

only after all of the available H+ has been used up, will more get released from the buffered

solution. There is a greater concentration of H+ in solution 2 than in solution 3, due to the

presence or less sodium acetate (NaCH3COO) buffer in test tube 2 than in test tube 3.

2. Did the pH go up or down when NaCH3COO was added to acetic acid? Did the concentration of

undisassociated HCH3COO increase or decrease. Explain using Le Châtlier’s principle.

a. The pH increased from 2.1 to 4.4 when the NaCH3COO was added to acetic acid. This is because

the excess acetate ions pull off a hydrogen ion (H+) from water when the available supply of H+

is diminished, thereby increasing the [OH-].

b. Did the concentration of undisassociated HCH3COO increased because the molecules needed to

break apart so that a new equilibrium could be established. The addition of the excess acetate ion

shifts the equilibrium to the right, therefore according to Le Châtlier’s principle; the reaction will

shift towards the right which is the undisassociated molecule.

3. Refer to Table II and indicate whether the addition of Cl- to the HCl solution caused a change in pH.

Explain the similarity or difference between this observation and that on the NaCH3COO- CH3COOH

system?

a. The addition of Cl- to the HCl solution did not cause a change in pH.

b. The difference between this observation and that on the NaCH3COO- CH3COOH system is that

in this system, there is no buffer present, because there is no weak acid present. Buffer systems

will only work when the conjugate base/acid of a weak acid/base is present in the solution.

4. Refer to Table III and indicate whether the addition of NH4Cl caused a change in pH. Explain your

observation.

a. The addition of NH4Cl caused a change in pH from 9.1 to 7.0.

b. This was because ammonia is a weak base, and the ammonium (NH4+) ion is the conjugate acid

of ammonia, and the reaction goes to equilibrium. Therefore preventing the ammonia from

forming more ammonium ions to keep the equilibrium.

5. How many drops of acid were required to change the color of the buffered solution listed in table IV?

What fraction of the total volume of buffer did it take to cause a color change, assume 20 drops per mL.

What fraction of the total volume of the unbufferd solution did it take to change the color?

a. 24 drops of acid were required to change the color of the buffered solution listed in table IV.

b. It took approximately 1/5 of the total volume of buffer to cause a color change.

c. It took approximately 1/100 of the total volume of buffer to cause a color change.