If the pH is in the 7.0-7.3 range the person will feel tired, have trouble breathing, and may even be disoriented. If the pH of the blood is in the 7.5-7.8 range, the person will feel dizzy and rather agitated. Buffers can also release bound hydrogen ions when their concentration in the solution decreases too much. They consist of sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, and salicylate analgesic. When placed in water, sodium citrate and carbon dioxide are produced.
Sodium citrate is a strong buffer.
A whole tablet can be mixed with 150 ml of water. In this laboratory, students will investigate how several materials respond to the addition of an acid and a base to determine whether living materials have buffering capacity. The teacher can decide how much information to give the students in advance. The students can follow the generic procedure using a great variety of biological materials and try to figure out the explanation for their results. Typically, when acid is added to water, the pH will drop quickly and then level out.