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Properties of Buffers

By: The Flinn Staff

Properties of Buffer Solutions Advanced Inquiry Lab Kit for AP* Chemistry
buffers, buffer solution, buffer capacity, properties of buffers
pH, pH range, pH changes
ap, advanced placement, ap chem, ap chemistry
Properties of Buffer Solutions Advanced Inquiry Lab Kit for AP* Chemistry
buffers, buffer solution, buffer capacity, properties of buffers
pH, pH range, pH changes
ap, advanced placement, ap chem, ap chemistry

In the Properties of Buffer Solutions Inquiry Lab Solution for AP® Chemistry, students attempt to design an ideal buffer solution effective in a specific pH range and to verify its buffer capacity.

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What are buffers made of? How does a buffer work? Can a buffer be designed to be effective in a given pH range? Is there such a thing as an ideal buffer? The purpose of this advanced-inquiry lab kit is to design a buffer solution that will be effective in a specific pH range and to verify its buffer capacity.

Students begin the investigation with an introductory activity to explore the composition and pH of ideal buffers and compare their pH changes when a strong acid and base are added. Understanding the properties of buffers prepares students for the guided-inquiry challenge—to design a buffer that will provide effective protection at a specific pH and that will have the capacity to maintain the pH within a narrow range when prescribed amounts of acid and base are added.  

Complete for 24 students working in pairs.

2024 CED Alignment:  

Unit 8 - Acids and Bases  

Topic 8.8 - Properties of Buffers 

Topic 8.10 - Buffer Capacity 

Description of the Lab 

The purpose of this lab is to design an effective buffer with a specific pH value for a consumer or experimental biochemistry application. The investigation begins with an introductory activity to compare the properties of three acetate buffers containing varying ratios of HA and A–. The results provide a model for guided-inquiry design of an experiment to prepare a desired buffer and verify its properties and performance. Five different buffer “challenges” are presented—each student group chooses one.                  

Learning Objectives 

  • LO 8.8.A – Explain the relationship between the ability of a buffer to stabilize pH and the reactions that occur when an acid or a base is added to the buffered solution. 
  • LO 8.10.A – Explain the relationship between the buffer capacity of a solution and the relative concentrations of the conjugate acid and conjugate base components of the solution. 

Skills Students Will Learn 

  • 1.B – Describe the components of and quantitative information from models and representations that illustrate both particulate-level and macroscopic-level properties. 
    In this lab: Students explain how added H⁺ or OH⁻ interacts with the buffer system at the molecular level. 
  • 5.F – Calculate, estimate, or predict an unknown quantity from known quantities by selecting and following a logical computational pathway and attending to precision (e.g., performing dimensional analysis and attending to significant figures). 
    In this lab: Students calculate expected and observed pH changes based on solution composition. 
  • 6.F – Explain the connection between experimental results and chemical concepts, processes, or theories. 
    In this lab: Students analyze their data to explain why the buffer resisted pH changes and how buffer capacity relates to conjugate species concentration.