A constant factor of ln-10 appears in expressions for a certain quantity related to these systems. For 10 points each:
[10h] Name these systems that may be parametrized using variables denoted alpha that sum to one for corresponding pairs of components. The capacity of these systems is sometimes referred to as the “inverse slope.”
ANSWER: buffers
[10e] Buffer capacity is maximized when the concentrations of the acid and base have this mathematical relationship. Le Chatelier’s principle drives systems towards a state where the rate of the forward and reverse reactions have this relationship.
ANSWER: they are equal [accept equilibrium]
[10m] Equilibrium problems for complex buffer systems may be solved by the namesake “balance” equations for these two quantities. The ratio between these two quantities is plotted against relative abundance in spectra obtained from techniques like ESI and “tandem” spectrometry.
ANSWER: mass AND charge [accept mass-charge balance or mass-to-charge ratio; prompt on MCB or m/z or m/Q]
<DN, Chemistry>