Biochem 153A: Week 1 Discussion
Water and Weak Acid solutions
TA: Wenise Wong
OH: Tues 2-3p, YH1225
Email: wenise@mbi.ucla.edu

I. Business
Discussion credit
Contract
Coffee, tea, and me
How to study for this course

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead." A. Einstein

II. Water
Mars and asteroids
The inherent characteristics of the water molecule lead to its properties as a liquid and solid.

Practice Problem: Water #4
The most basic reason that the boiling point of water is so high is:
a) the small size of the molecule
b) the atmospheric pressure
c) the difference in electronegativity of oxygen and hydrogen
d) the geometry of the molecule


III. Weak Acids and Bases
Buffering, inflection point

1) What is Ka?

2) Fill-in with or Protonated or Deprotonated:
When the given pH is greater than the pKa, there is more of the _____________________ species present. When the given pH is less than the pKa, there is more of the ____________________ species present.

3) Titration curves
Who is it?
What are the axes?
When are pKa/buffering zones and equivalence pts reached?
Where to start?
How it is done: