Acid Base Solutions Quick Check

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Question
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

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.

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.

If the initial concentration of each acid is the same, then acetic acid will produce more H3O+ ions than hydrochloric acid.
If the initial concentration of each acid is the same, then acetic acid will produce more H 3 O + ions than hydrochloric acid.

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

1 answer

To analyze the statements about hydrochloric acid (HCl) and acetic acid (CH₃COOH):

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

    • This statement is generally incorrect. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid and almost completely dissociates in solution, leading to a lower pH compared to a weak acid like acetic acid, which does not completely dissociate.
  2. The dissociation constant for hydrochloric acid is greater than the dissociation constant for acetic acid.

    • This statement is correct. Hydrochloric acid has a very high dissociation constant because it fully dissociates in solution, while acetic acid has a much lower dissociation constant because it only partially dissociates.
  3. If the initial concentration of each acid is the same, then acetic acid will produce more H3O+ ions than hydrochloric acid.

    • This statement is incorrect. Since hydrochloric acid is a strong acid and dissociates completely, it will produce more H₃O⁺ ions compared to acetic acid at the same initial concentration.
  4. A solution of hydrochloric acid at equilibrium will have a greater concentration of solute than a solution of acetic acid at equilibrium.

    • This statement could be misleading without context. However, in general, since HCl dissociates completely, it will have a higher concentration of H₃O⁺ ions compared to acetic acid at the same initial concentration, which results in a higher effective concentration of solute after dissociation.

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

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