salts and buffers

[306250289]

I was watching a video on buffer solutions and it used an example to explain weak acids. it said if HF was the weak acid, then its weak conjugate base would be NaF. Im wondering where the Na came from and why we are allowed to add that rather than the conjugate base just being F- by itself.

[hadydamaj27]

Weak acids have strong conjugate bases, so in order for this weak base to have a conjugate base that it also weak, it must be changed. This is accomplished by adding the Na. If it were looking for a strong conjugate base, the Na would not be added.

[Patel Kardoukian 1F]

Na is basically a placeholder to create the weak base. Once dissolved, it would turn into NaOH. Just having F- would remove that change to form NaOH.