Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid. Acetic acid is a weak acid. Which statement about hydrochloric acid and acetic acid is correct?(1 point)

Responses

A solution of hydrochloric acid at equilibrium will have a greater concentration of solute than a solution of acetic acid at equilibrium.
A solution of hydrochloric acid at equilibrium will have a greater concentration of solute than a solution of acetic acid at equilibrium.

The dissociation constant for hydrochloric acid is greater than the dissociation constant for acetic acid.
The dissociation constant for hydrochloric acid is greater than the dissociation constant for acetic acid.

The pH of a solution of hydrochloric acid must be less than the pH of a solution of acetic acid.
The pH of a solution of hydrochloric acid must be less than the pH of a solution of acetic acid.

If the initial concentration of each acid is the same, then acetic acid will produce more H3O+ ions than hydrochloric acid.

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
26 days ago

The correct statement among the options provided is:

**The dissociation constant for hydrochloric acid is greater than the dissociation constant for acetic acid.**

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid that completely dissociates in water, leading to a very high dissociation constant (Ka) that can be considered as being effectively infinite for practical purposes. Acetic acid (CH3COOH), on the other hand, is a weak acid that only partially dissociates in solution, resulting in a much smaller Ka value. Therefore, the dissociation constant for HCl is indeed greater than that for acetic acid.

The other options are incorrect for the following reasons:

1. **A solution of hydrochloric acid at equilibrium will have a greater concentration of solute than a solution of acetic acid at equilibrium.** - This is not necessarily true, as the actual concentration of solute depends on the starting concentrations and does not inherently mean HCl in solution is more concentrated than a comparable acetic acid solution.

2. **The pH of a solution of hydrochloric acid must be less than the pH of a solution of acetic acid.** - This statement is generally true as HCl being a strong acid would lead to a lower pH compared to acetic acid at the same initial concentration. However, if the concentrations were different, it might not hold.

3. **If the initial concentration of each acid is the same, then acetic acid will produce more H3O+ ions than hydrochloric acid.** - This is incorrect because HCl will produce more H3O+ ions upon dissociation compared to acetic acid at the same initial concentration.

Thus, the most accurate and definitively correct statement is about the dissociation constants.