Question

To maintain balance, your body can release buffers. If your pH dropped below 6.5 (to a pH of 4 for example), what would your body release to bring your pH slowly back up to 6.5?

A) strong acid
B) weak acid
C) strong base
D) weak base

Answer 1

The body would release a weak base to raise the pH from 4 back towards a normal level. Buffers in the body, which can act as weak bases, are used to neutralize excess hydrogen ions and manage pH levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a student's body pH dropped below 6.5, specifically to a pH of 4 as in the example given, the body would need to release a substance that could bring the pH back up towards a normal level, which is approximately 7.4 for blood. Considering the options provided: A) strong acid, B) weak acid, C) strong base, and D) weak base, the correct substance would be D) weak base

Buffers in the body typically consist of weak acids and their conjugate bases, and they function to neutralize harmful fluctuations in pH. When the pH falls and becomes too acidic, a buffer acts as a weak base to absorb the excess hydrogen ions (H+) and slowly raise the pH level back to a safer, more neutral range. Therefore, the body releases buffers that act as weak bases to counteract the acidity and work to restore the acid-base balance.