22. Acid-Base Equilibrium: Salt Solutions and Buffers

MIT 5.111 Principles of Chemical Science, Fall 2014
Instructor: Catherine Drennan

A buffer helps to maintain a constant pH. Our blood has a natural buffering system to ensure that the pH of our blood stays within a narrow window and that we stay health. In this lecture, we consider how to design a buffer. We also discuss how one can predict the pH of a salt solution. At dinner if you put table salt in your water glass, how would the pH of the water change? or would it change?

License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

[gracewu]

Catherine really is the best, so grateful to have her as the lecturer ❤

[namankarn]

The best lecture on Buffers I 've ever seen...

[andy-wtok]

An easier way to approach the acidity or basicity of a salt is to look at the component acid and base that combined to form it. For example NH4Cl is made through ammonia (weak base) and hydrochloric acid (strong acid), so I think of it as the strong acid portion cancelling out the weak base portion, and leaving a bit of "acidity" behind. In the end, ammonium chloride is slightly acidic.

[Colossuss]

And there’s the difference in [insert generic college/university] and MIT lectures... equally about the why compared to the how. Much appreciated!

[kayondejohn]

I like the way this lady delivers content really really good, i really enjoy watching your lectures Madam ✅

[Chris-pthh]

Every time she points to something, and the camera doesn't show what she's pointing at, a fairy dies.

[Xkwizit_P]

I'm wondering though to what extent, and how amphoteric compounds can be used dirrectly as buffers...

[codingWorld]

Very nice lecture and easier to understand

[VyvienneEaux]

Imagine students who are not in her class seeing her that day. "Wow, what a nasty professor! Her shirt says 'HA! A-.'"

[ultranviol]

Why do you name chemical elements as if they are letters from the English alphabet? Why c-h but not chlor or n-a instead of Natriy?