Buffer capacity (β) is defined as the moles of an acid or base necessary to change the pH of a solution by 1, divided by the pH change and the volume of buffer in liters; it is a unitless number.
How do you measure buffer capacity?
Use the buffer capacity equation to calculate the buffer capacity.
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pH = pKa + log10([A-]/[HA]) , where:
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pH = pKa + log10([A-]/[HA]) , where:
- [A-] is the concentration of a base in the buffer.
- [HA] is the concentration of a acid in the buffer.
- pKa is the dissociation constant of acid.
What is buffer capacity Example?
For example, 1 L of a solution that is 1.0 M in acetic acid and 1.0 M in sodium acetate has a greater buffer capacity than 1 L of a solution that is 0.10 M in acetic acid and 0.10 M in sodium acetate even though both solutions have the same pH.
