Predict the relative strength of each of the following groups

HClo4,CH3CooH,HNo3 and HCl

1 answer

To predict the relative strength of each of the given groups, we will consider the acidity of the corresponding conjugate bases. The stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base will be.

1. HClO4 (perchloric acid): This is a strong acid, meaning it completely ionizes in water to produce H+ ions. Therefore, its conjugate base, ClO4-, is extremely weak. It is a stable and non-reactive ion.

2. CH3COOH (acetic acid): This is a weak acid, meaning it only partially ionizes in water. It donates a proton to the water to form H3O+ and the acetate ion, CH3COO-. Acetate is a relatively weak base.

3. HNO3 (nitric acid): This is also a strong acid that ionizes completely in water to produce H+ ions. Thus, its conjugate base, NO3-, is weak and stable.

4. HCl (hydrochloric acid): Similar to HClO4 and HNO3, HCl is a strong acid that fully ionizes in water to produce H+ ions. Consequently, its conjugate base, Cl-, is weak.

In summary, the relative strengths of the given groups, based on the strength of their conjugate bases, can be ranked from weakest to strongest as follows:
1. CH3COOH
2. Cl-
3. NO3-
4. ClO4-