A buffer is a solution that resists changes in pH with the addition of acids or bases. It contains a combination of a weak acid or base and the salt of its conjugate strong acid or base. Buffers do not keep solutions neutral, but rather keep them at a desired pH within a specific range called the buffer capacity. There are three main types of buffer solutions: those containing a weak acid and its conjugate base salt (pH < 7), those containing a weak base and its conjugate acid salt (pH > 7), and neutral phosphate buffers containing a weak acid and weak base (pH = 7). Weak acids or bases are used in buffers because they dissociate slowly, while their conjugate strong acid or base salts are fully