Ionic EquilibriummediumMCQ SINGLE

If the instantaneous Buffer Capacity () of a simple acidic buffer () is plotted on the y-axis againsIonic Equilibrium Chemistry Question

Question

If the instantaneous Buffer Capacity ($\beta$) of a simple acidic buffer ($HA/A^-$) is plotted on the y-axis against the ratio of $[Salt]/[Acid]$ on the x-axis, what is the visual shape of the resulting graph, and where is its maximum?

Answer: C

💡 Solution & Explanation

Buffer capacity ($\beta = 2.303 \frac{ab}{a+b}$) achieves its absolute maximum when the concentration of the weak acid exactly equals the concentration of its conjugate base salt ($[Salt] = [Acid]$, or $a=b$). If plotted, the visual representation is a symmetrical bell-shaped curve that peaks precisely where the ratio is 1 (which corresponds to $pH = pK_a$).

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