Final answer:
To prepare a phosphate buffer with a pH of 7.15, we can use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to calculate the ratio of [A-] to [HA].
Step-by-step explanation:
To prepare a phosphate buffer with a pH of 7.15, we need to calculate the amounts of H2PO4- and HPO4^2- needed. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is used for buffer calculations:
pH = pKa + log([A-]/[HA])
Given pKa = 6.86, pH = 7.15, and the total buffer volume is 1.0 L, we can calculate the ratio [A-]/[HA] using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. From the equation, we know that [A-]/[HA] = 10^(pH - pKa).
Substituting the values, we get 10^(7.15 - 6.86) = 1.848