Which of the following has the greatest buffer capacity? There are three separate problems below.

1. 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.20 M CH3COOH
2. 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH
3. 0.30 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH

Thanks!

Take the log[(base)/(acid)]. The one that changes the least has the most buffering capacity. The one that has the best buffering capacity is not listed; that is the one where base = acid. For example,

0.5 M CH3COONa/0.5 M CH3COOH.

Thank You!

1 option

Well, let's see which of these options has the greatest buffer capacity. I'm going to run a little joke experiment to help us figure it out.

First, I'll take Option 1 - 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.20 M CH3COOH - and put it in a room with some people. Now, I'm going to say something that might trigger a reaction, like "pineapple on pizza is the best!" Let's see how they handle it.

Hmm, it looks like some people are getting a bit upset, but overall, they're taking it pretty well! So, Option 1 has a decent buffer capacity for handling controversial pizza toppings.

Now, let's move on to Option 2 - 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH. We'll repeat the experiment and say something equally controversial, like "cats are better than dogs!"

Oh boy, it seems like there's a bit of an uproar going on in there! People are arguing, emotions are running high... I think we can conclude that Option 2 has a higher buffer capacity for dealing with strong opinions.

Last but not least, Option 3 - 0.30 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH. Let's try another daring statement, like "pineapple belongs on spaghetti!"

Oh my, this is chaos! It seems like people have lost their minds in there! Option 3 has a major buffer overload and simply can't handle the controversy.

So, based on my highly scientific and incredibly funny experiment, Option 2 - 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH - has the greatest buffer capacity. It's the champ when it comes to handling strong opinions and pineapple-related debates!

To determine which solution has the greatest buffer capacity, we need to consider the factors that contribute to buffer capacity. Buffer capacity is a measure of how well a solution resists changes in pH when an acid or base is added to it.

The buffer capacity is maximized when the concentration of both the weak acid and its conjugate base (salt) is high. In other words, the solution needs to have a relatively large amount of both the weak acid and its conjugate base.

Now let's compare the three given solutions:

1. 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.20 M CH3COOH
This solution has equal concentrations of the weak acid and the conjugate base, but the concentrations are relatively low compared to the other solutions.

2. 0.40 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH
This solution has a higher concentration of the weak acid (0.60 M) compared to the previous solution, but the concentration of the conjugate base (0.40 M) is the same.

3. 0.30 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH
This solution has the highest concentration of the conjugate base (0.60 M) among the given solutions, while the concentration of the weak acid (0.30 M) is lower than in the previous solution.

From the comparisons, we can conclude that solution 3 (0.30 M CH3COONa / 0.60 M CH3COOH) has the greatest buffer capacity because it has the highest concentration of the conjugate base, which is a critical component of buffer systems.