pH buffers are used extensively in research and industry making them an important chemistry topic for students to learn. This qualitative study uses the phenomenographic method and a resource theoretical framework to provide the first insights into how students approach conceptual buffer problems. Three scaffolded buffer question sets were designed to promote in-depth conceptual responses during a think aloud interview followed by retrospective reporting. Open-coding for activated resources led to three levels of resource activation: Surface Features, Building Connections, and Interconnected. Layered resource graphs provide a visual representation of a diverse array of activated resources, how resources are connected, and which question type promoted particular activations. Some resources such as "Accept or Donate H[superscript +]" were consistently activated in all three questions whereas other resources such as "pH relative to pK[subscript a]" were productive only in particular contexts, thereby highlighting the contextual dependence of resource productivity. Challenges were observed in productively activating crucial resources such as "Accept or Donate H[superscript +]" and in maintaining activations over time even within the same scaffolded question. Specific suggestions are provided on making connections between resources to promote students to a higher level of resource activation and success with buffer problems. Future research should probe the types of activities that can promote productive resource activations and connections.