Abstract
Abstract Many reactions in solution involve acids and bases, and so this chapter examines these important reactions in detail. Topics covered include the ionisation of water, pH, pOH, acids and bases, conjugate acids and conjugate bases, acid and base dissociation constants, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, the Henderson-Hasselbalch approximation, buffer solutions and buffer capacity. A unique feature of this chapter is a ‘first principles’ analysis of how a reaction buffered at a particular pH achieves an equilibrium composition different from that of the same reaction taking place in an unbuffered solution. This introduces some concepts which are important in understanding the biochemical standard state, as required for Chapter 23.
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