Frequently Asked Questions
What is buffer capacity?
Buffer capacity (beta) is the moles of strong acid or base required to change 1 liter of buffer by 1 pH unit. It quantifies how well a buffer resists pH change. Units are mol/(L·pH). A higher total buffer concentration C gives higher capacity. Maximum capacity occurs at pH = pKa, where beta_max = 0.576 x C.
Why does buffer capacity peak when pH equals pKa?
Buffer capacity depends on the product of the fraction of acid form and base form: beta = 2.303 x C x alpha x (1 - alpha). This product is maximized when alpha = 0.5 (equal amounts of acid and base), which occurs exactly at pH = pKa. Moving away from pKa in either direction depletes one form and reduces capacity.
What happens when a buffer is exhausted?
Once either the acid or base component is nearly consumed (typically when ratio exceeds 10:1), the pH changes sharply with any additional acid or base. This is seen as the steep inflection in a titration curve. Biologically, exhausted blood bicarbonate buffer leads to acidosis or alkalosis - the body compensates through respiratory rate changes.
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