Question

a buffer contains significant amounts of ammonia and ammonium chloride. write equations that demonstrate how this buffer neutralizes added acid and added base.

Answer 1

A buffer containing ammonia and ammonium chloride neutralizes added acids by converting ammonia into ammonium ions, and neutralizes added bases by converting ammonium ions into ammonia and water, thus maintaining the buffer's pH.

Step-by-step explanation:

The buffer containing significant amounts of ammonia (NH3) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) neutralizes added acids and bases through acid-base reactions. When acid is added to the buffer, the ammonia (NH3) reacts with the excess hydrogen ions (H+) to form ammonium ions (NH4+), as shown in the following equation:

NH3(aq) + H+(aq) → NH4+(aq)

Conversely, when base is added in the form of hydroxide ions (OH-), the ammonium ion (NH4+) reacts with these ions to form ammonia (NH3) and water (H2O), reducing the hydroxide ion concentration, which can be represented by the equation:

NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) → NH3(aq) + H2O(l)

These reactions help maintain the pH of the buffer solution, preventing significant changes when small amounts of acid or base are introduced.