Chapter 17, Problem 11QP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The ratio of the concentration of carbonic acid to that of the bicarbonate ionis to be calculated, with given $\text{pH}$ of the bicarbonate-carbonic acid buffer.

Concept introduction:

The value of $\text{pH}$ measures the concentration of hydronium ions in asolution. The solution with the higher concentration of hydronium ions has a low $\text{pH}$ value and the solution with a lower concentration of hydronium ions has a high $\text{pH}$ value.

Buffers are those solutionsthatresist achange in the value of pH on the addition of few amount of acid or base.

The value of $p{K}_a$ of a solution is calculated as:

$p{K}_a=-\text{log}\left(K_a\right)$

The Henderson–Hasselbalch equation for an acidic buffer is as:

${\text{pH=pK}}_{\text{a}}\text{+log}\frac{\text{[Conjugate Base]}}{\text{[Weak Acid]}}$