Question

A buffer solution contains 0.345 M acetic acid and 0.377 M sodium acetate . If 0.0613 moles of potassium hydroxide are added to 250 mL of this buffer, what is the pH of the resulting solution ? (Assume that the volume does not change upon adding potassium hydroxide. )

Answer 1

pH = 5.54

Step-by-step explanation:

The pH of a buffer solution is given by the Henderson-Hasselbach (H-H) equation:

• pH = pKa + log
  `([CH_3COO^-])/([CH_3COOH])`

For acetic acid, pKa = 4.75.

We calculate the original number of moles for acetic acid and acetate, using the given concentrations and volume:

• CH₃COO⁻ ⇒ 0.377 M * 0.250 L = 0.0942 mol CH₃COO⁻

• CH₃COOH ⇒ 0.345 M * 0.250 L = 0.0862 mol CH₃COOH

The number of CH₃COO⁻ moles will increase with the added moles of KOH while the number of CH₃COOH moles will decrease by the same amount.

Now we use the H-H equation to calculate the new pH, by using the new concentrations:

• pH = 4.75 + log
  `((0.0942+0.0613)mol/0.250L)/((0.0862-0.0613)mol/0.250L)` = 5.54