Asked by Chimcy
For the series of oxoacids H3PO4 , H2SO4 , and HClO4 , which acid is strongest? Why?
Answers
Answered by
DrBob222
The relative strength is determined by (a) the electronegativity of the central atom and (b) by the number of oxygen atoms. Here is a good description. For this series HClO4 is the strongest followed by H2SO4 followed by H3PO4.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Map%3A_Inorganic_Chemistry_(Miessler_Fischer_Tarr)/6%3A_Acid-Base_and_Donor-Acceptor_Chemistry/6.3%3A_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Concept/6.3.2_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Superacids_and_the_Hammett_Acidity_Function/6.3.3_Thermodynamics_of_Solution-Phase_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity/6.3.4_Thermodynamics_of_Gas_Phase_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity/6.3.5._Non-nucleophilic_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Superbases/6.3.6._Rules_of_Thumb_for_thinking_about_the_relationship_between_Molecular_Structure_and_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity*/6.3.7.__The_acid-base_behavior_of_binary_element_hydrides_is_determined_primarily_by_the_element's_electronegativity_and_secondarily_by_the_element-hydrogen_bond_strength.*/6.3.8._The_Acidity_of_an_Oxoacid_is_Determined_by_the_Electronegativity_and_Oxidation_State_of_the_Oxoacid's_Central_Atom*
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Map%3A_Inorganic_Chemistry_(Miessler_Fischer_Tarr)/6%3A_Acid-Base_and_Donor-Acceptor_Chemistry/6.3%3A_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Concept/6.3.2_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Superacids_and_the_Hammett_Acidity_Function/6.3.3_Thermodynamics_of_Solution-Phase_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity/6.3.4_Thermodynamics_of_Gas_Phase_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity/6.3.5._Non-nucleophilic_Br%C3%B8nsted-Lowry_Superbases/6.3.6._Rules_of_Thumb_for_thinking_about_the_relationship_between_Molecular_Structure_and_Br%C3%B8nsted_Acidity_and_Basicity*/6.3.7.__The_acid-base_behavior_of_binary_element_hydrides_is_determined_primarily_by_the_element's_electronegativity_and_secondarily_by_the_element-hydrogen_bond_strength.*/6.3.8._The_Acidity_of_an_Oxoacid_is_Determined_by_the_Electronegativity_and_Oxidation_State_of_the_Oxoacid's_Central_Atom*