21 Buffers and neutralisation
OCR Chemistry A Exam-style questions
1 The pH of human blood is controlled by a buffer solution, based on an acid–base
equilibrium represented by Equation 1.
Equation 1: H2CO3 H2O ⇌ H3O
a Give the names of these species.
H2CO3:
:
H3O: (3 marks)
b Explain what is meant by the term buffer solution.
(2 marks)
c i Explain the buffering action of the system in Equation 1 when H ions are
added to the system.
(4 marks)
ii State one reason why a buffering system is necessary in human blood
plasma.
(1 mark)
2 A student makes a buffer solution from ethanoic acid. He takes a solution of
ethanoic acid and adds a solution of the salt sodium ethanoate.
a i Give the structural formulae of ethanoic acid and sodium ethanoate.
ethanoic acid
sodium ethanoate
(2 marks)
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21 Buffers and neutralisation
OCR Chemistry A Exam-style questions
ii State the name of one other type of substance that can be added to
ethanoic acid to form a buffer solution.
(1 mark)
b Calculate the pH of a buffer solution that contains 0.100 mol dm−3 ethanoic
acid and 0.300 mol dm−3 sodium ethanoate.
The Ka value of ethanoic acid is 1.70 × 10−5 mol dm−3.
pH _____________ (3 marks)
3 The fluid in the cells of living organisms contains a system that acts as a buffer
solution.
This system is based on an equilibrium involving the dihydrogen phosphate,
and the hydrogen phosphate ion, . These two ions are described
as a conjugate acid–base pair:
a i Explain why and are described as a conjugate acid–base
pair.
(1 mark)
ii Explain why this equilibrium system is able to maintain the pH of cell fluid
when a small amount of alkali is introduced into a cell.
(3 marks)
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21 Buffers and neutralisation
OCR Chemistry A Exam-style questions
b The Ka of the dihydrogen phosphate ion is 6.20 × 10−8 mol dm−3.
The fluid in a cell has a pH of around 6.90.
Calculate the ratio of the concentrations of dihydrogen phosphate ions to
hydrogen phosphate ions in this cell.
________________ (3 marks)
4 A student wishes to obtain a pH curve to show what happens while 40 cm3 of
0.500 mol dm−3 sodium hydroxide is added to 10.0 cm3 of 0.500 mol dm−3
solution ethanoic acid.
a Describe how the student could carry out this investigation.
(3 marks)
b In a previous investigation, the student has obtained a pH curve to show how
the pH of 10.0 cm3 of 0.500 mol dm−3 sulfuric acid changes while 40 cm3 of
0.250 mol dm−3 sodium hydroxide is added.
The graph is shown below.
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21 Buffers and neutralisation
OCR Chemistry A Exam-style questions
i Discuss the similarities and differences between this pH curve and the one
that the student would expect to obtain for the ethanoic acid/sodium
hydroxide investigation.
(6 marks)
ii The pH range values of some indicators are shown below.
Indicator pKa
Methyl violet 0.0–1.6
Congo red 3.0–5.0
Phenolphthalein 8.2–10.0
Explain which indicators, if any, would be suitable for a titration between
sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide.
(3 marks)
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