Berkeley Review Chemistry--Please Help

[PAGuyana]

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I'm so demoralized. I spent the entire day studying the buffers chapter and I feel like I know less. I've been doing well with the thing, but this chapter has completely derailed me. Can someone, including Berk. Teach, please just highlight the important stuff please? Are buffers a hot topic anyways? Thanks all.

 

[BloodySurgeon]

yea.. buffers are pretty important, including in biology (i.e. H2CO3).

Highlights:

KNOW the buffer equation!!!

Should not memorize, but I don't have time to explain why this is true:
SA + SB ---> neutralization and not a buffer equation
SA + WB ---> buffer only if SA is the limiting reagent
WA + SB --> buffer only if SB is the limiting reagent

KNOW titration curve and that the buffer zone is when the graph is flat..
know what the major species are throughout the graph also.

Know that it is very difficult to change the pH of a buffer and that is why it is so important biologically

I recommend you wikipedia buffers or read about them... very high yielding stuff (although i cant remember it showing up on my test)


[Edit] know the indicators, pka vs. Ka, pOH vs. pH, how to use log, Kw... I recommend you do those BR problems and see if they make sense after a few of them. If not, maybe you should take out your old dusty g-chem book. [/Edit]

 

[BloodySurgeon]

SA=Strong acid
WA=weak acid

SB=Strong base
WB=weak base

pH = pKa + log [A-]/[HA]

 

[LUCPM]

Have you done the passage problems? If you haven't, you can try some of them. I was only able to understand the material after doing the passages.

With that said, I also found the buffer/titration chapter was the hardest out of the entire Berkeley Gen Chem book. It took me 3 days to do one chapter but I now know the material pretty well.

Good luck.