Fundamentals

Strong vs. Weak

pK_a and pH

Math Problems

Buffers

Redox

Chirality

Entropy

The subjects of acids, bases and pH can be very confusing to biochemistry students, either because they have forgotten these concepts from general chemistry or maybe never truly understood them in the first place.

This is a primer to either refresh your memory or to help you grasp these concepts to a level of understanding needed for introductory biochemistry. Go through the subsections in order to get the best instruction:

• Fundamentals - teaches the general concepts behind acids and bases, which also happen to be the biggest conceptual stumbling block.
  
  
• Strong versus weak acids and bases - illustrates how to identify the strength of an acid or base and describes acid-base equilibria.
  
  
• pH - shows how to make pH calculations and explains how to treat weak and strong acids differently in your calculations.
  
  
• Math problems - simple directions and examples for any type of acid and base math problem you might encounter.