Are buffer solution and acidic buffer different? [closed]

Question

I have studied that acidic buffer is a type of buffer solution but the definition of buffer solution says that it's a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid whereas the definition of acidic buffer says it's mixture of a weak acid and its SALT with a strong base. I don't understand this one buffer solution is an acid base mixture but acidic buffer is an acid salt mixture

Answer 1

pH buffers are solutions with low value $\left|\dfrac{\text{d}(\text{pH})}{\text{d}n_\text{base/acid}}\right|$, i.e. their pH does not change much by addition of an acid or base.

How it is achieved is secondary. It is managed by two ways:

1. Having a conjugate pair (Broensted-Lawry) acid+base (or several ones). They are usually combination of
   • A weak acid and its salt with a strong base, like acetic acid/sodium acetate
   • A weak base and its salt with a strong acid, like ammonia/ammonium chloride
   • As acids/bases are often are used respective salts of multiprotic acids like phosphoric acid or citric acid.
2. Requirements for pH buffers with very low or high pH can be addressed solely by solution of strong acid or base, as high concentrations of $\ce{H+(aq)}$ or $\ce{OH-(aq)}$ have natively high buffering capacity.

Acidic/basic buffers may have several meanings:

• Having acidic/basic pH.
• Using a weak acid/weak base and their salts as conjugate bases/acids.
• Using strong acids/bases as the second buffer type.