Abuffer is made with sodium acetate (ch3coona) and acetic acid (ch3cooh); the ka for acetic acid is 1.80×10−5. the ph of the buffer is 3.98. what is the ratio of the equilibrium concentration of sodium acetate to that of acetic acid if you assume that the henderson-hasselbalch equation is accurate?

a. -0.760
b. 0.174
c. 0.840
d. 5.75
e. not enough information is given to answer this question.

B. 0.174

Explanation:

A buffer is formed by a weak acid (CH₃COOH) and its conjugate base (CH₃COO⁻, coming from sodium acetate). We can calculate the pH of this buffer using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.

pH = pKa + log [CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH]

pH - pKa = log [CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH]

3.98 - (-log 1.80 × 10⁻⁵) = log [CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH]

-0.760 = log [CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH]

[CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH] = anti log (-0.760)

[CH₃COO⁻]/[CH₃COOH] = 0.174

h let me think