Buffer solutions are made by mixing water with a buffering agent to resist pH changes when exposed to acids and bases. Bicarbonate is an important buffering agent in the human body, helping to maintain pH balance. Buffering agents are used in many products, including antacids and pH probes.
A buffer solution is water mixed with a chemical to give it special properties regarding pH (acidity). The chemical, known as a buffering agent, resists pH changes when exposed to acids and bases when properly mixed in a solution. This property makes it extremely useful for protecting sensitive equipment, dealing with chemical accidents, and even balancing the internal processes of living things.
The acid form of a buffering agent (HA) is mixed with its conjugate base (A-) in water to make the solution. Once an equilibrium exists between HA and A-, any further acids or bases added will be neutralized as they transform a portion of the buffering agent into the HA or A- form. The change in the buffering agent initially causes a small change in the pH of the solution. As the proportion of HA and A- of the agent changes due to the addition of other acids and bases, the buffering capacity of the solution decreases. Eventually, a buffering agent may be used up to the point where it can no longer significantly resist pH changes, meaning it is no longer useful for this purpose.
Buffer solutions and buffering agents are extremely common. Borax laundry detergent, for example, can be used to make a simple one. Many traditional antacid tablets are, in fact, buffering agents that work within the human body. Buffered aspirin is aspirin that has been treated with a buffering agent to help reduce aspirin’s pH changes when it is exposed to stomach acid. pH probes are protected from damage when stored in these solutions.
In the human body, buffering agents play a vital role in both respiration and maintaining the pH level of the body. One of the most important agents in man is bicarbonate. When carbon dioxide (CO2) mixes with water (H2O), carbonic acid (H2CO3) is formed. Bicarbonate (HCO3-) is a dissociation of carbonic acid. Carbonic acid and bicarbonate form a balance in the blood that helps the body adjust to changes in pH.
Just like a buffer solution, the bicarbonate/carbonic acid balance will no longer resist pH changes if their proportions are significantly altered. Carbon dioxide excesses are regulated by forming carbon dioxide through the removal of water from carbonic acid; the carbon dioxide is then exhaled. Excessive amounts of bicarbonate can be reduced by inhaling more carbon dioxide, which is then transformed into carbonic acid.
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