Asked by ny

Which acid(s) is weaker than benzoic acid?

acetic acid and hypochlorous acid

hydrofluoric acid only

hypochlorous acid only

hydrofluoric acid and hypochlorous acid
Strengths of Acids and of Bases

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Answer: acetic acid and hypochlorous acid.

Reason: benzoic acid has pKa ≈ 4.20. Acetic acid pKa ≈ 4.76 and hypochlorous acid pKa ≈ 7.5, so both are weaker (higher pKa). Hydrofluoric acid (pKa ≈ 3.2) is stronger than benzoic acid, so it is not weaker.