The correct statement about hydrochloric acid and acetic acid 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. In contrast, acetic acid (CH₃COOH) is a weak acid that only partially dissociates, resulting in a much lower dissociation constant. Therefore, the first statement is true, while the others are not correct in the context given.
- The second statement about pH is not universally correct because it depends on the concentrations of the acids.
- The third statement is also not necessarily correct, as the concentration of solute at equilibrium will depend on the extent of dissociation relative to initial concentrations.
- The fourth statement is incorrect because the strong acid will produce more H₃O⁺ ions than the weak acid if their initial concentrations are the same.