Final answer:
To prepare a 1 L sodium acetate buffer with a pH of 5.4, you would need to combine acetic acid and sodium acetate in specific concentrations. The pH of the buffer is determined by the ratio of the acid to its conjugate base, which can be calculated using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. Once you have the ratio, you can determine the concentrations of acetic acid and sodium acetate needed for the buffer.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prepare a 1 L sodium acetate buffer with a pH of 5.4, you would need to combine acetic acid and sodium acetate in specific concentrations. Since the pH of a buffer is determined by the ratio of the acid to its conjugate base, you will need to use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
First, calculate the pH using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation: pH = pKa + log([A^-]/[HA]). In this case, acetic acid (HA) is in equilibrium with its conjugate base (A^-). The pKa for acetic acid is 4.756. Plug in the values to calculate the ratio of [A^-]/[HA].
Next, determine the concentrations of acetic acid and sodium acetate needed. Since the buffer should have equal concentrations of both components, you can use the ratio of [A^-]/[HA] to calculate the necessary concentrations. Multiply the ratio by the total concentration of the buffer to find the concentrations of acetic acid and sodium acetate, and then convert to volume by multiplying by the total volume of the buffer.