Question

What is a Buffer in chemistry?

Answer 1

Buffer solution is just like a water based solution that consists of a mixture that contains a weak acid and a conjugate base of the weak acid or a weak base and the conjugate acid of the weak base. They help to resist the change in pH on dilution or by addition of small amounts of acid or alkali to them.

Complete answer:
The buffer solution is used to maintain the concentration of hydrogen with a few minor changes by diluting or adding a very small amount of acid or a base. These solutions are used in the process of fermentation, as food preservatives, drug delivery, printing, enzyme activity of enzyme, etc. Solutions that are of weak acid and its conjugate base or weak base and its conjugate acid are able to maintain the pH and are known as buffer solutions. The pH shows small change upon the addition of a very small quantity of strong acid or a strong base.

Additional Information:
There are two types of buffer solution that are known as acidic buffers and basic buffer.
Acidic buffers are mainly used to maintain the acidic environments. It has acidic pH and is prepared by mixing a weak acid and its salt with a strong base. The aqueous solution if it is of equal concentration of acetic acid and sodium acetate has pH of $4.74$
The other buffer solution is known as alkaline buffer solution which is used to maintain the basic condition. As it is a basic buffer it also has basic pH and is prepared by mixing a weak base and its salt with strong acid .

Note:
The pH of the acidic solution is below $7$ . Acidic buffer has weak acid and its salt of weak acid. An example of this is a mixture of acetic acid and sodium acetate. The pH of the alkaline buffer is above $7$ . Alkaline buffer or basic buffer has a weak base and a salt of the weak base.