An industrial gas scrubbing solution is maintained at a pH of 6.806.806.80 to capture acid emissions. Hydrogen sulfite ions, HSO3−\text{HSO}_3^-HSO3−, and sulfite ions, SO32−\text{SO}_3^{2-}SO32−, act as a buffer to keep this pH stable. The pKa\text{p}K_apKa value for the acid dissociation of hydrogen sulfite is 7.187.187.18:
HSO3−(aq)⇌H+(aq)+SO32−(aq)\text{HSO}_3^-(\text{aq}) \rightleftharpoons \text{H}^+(\text{aq}) + \text{SO}_3^{2-}(\text{aq})HSO3−(aq)⇌H+(aq)+SO32−(aq)
Explain, in terms of equilibrium, how this sulfite mixture acts as a buffer to control pH, and calculate the [SO32−]:[HSO3−][\text{SO}_3^{2-}] : [\text{HSO}_3^-][SO32−]:[HSO3−] ratio in this scrubbing solution.
Myoglobin is an oxygen-storage protein found in muscle tissue. It contains a heme group with an Fe2+\text{Fe}^{2+}Fe2+ ion at its center. Explain, using the concepts of coordination and ligand substitution: