Acid Strength: Overview, Questions, Preparation

This chapter has multiple topics listed below:

Acids, Bases and Salts Acid Strength Difference between Acid and Bas...Examples of Bases Zinc carbonate Zinc Nitrate Aluminium Phosphate Aspartic Acid Butyric Acid Tannic acid Uses of Folic Acid Uses of Acetic Acid Lactic Acid formula Uses of Citric Acid Magnesium Nitrate Barium Iodide Dilute Acids Magnesium Phosphate Uses of Hydrochloric Acid List of Strong Acids Butanoic Acid Sodium Chlorate Barium Carbonate Chloroacetic Acid Magnesium Bicarbonate Red Cabbage Indicator Sodium Hexametaphosphate Zinc Hydroxide Potassium Iodate Peroxydisulfuric Acid Ph of Acids and Bases Potassium Bromate Weak Acid Examples Weak Bases Magnesium Hydroxide Monosodium Glutamate Potassium Hydroxide Nitrous Acid Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Difference between Alkali and B...Properties of Bases Sodium Citrate Ammonium Phosphate Chemical Indicators Chromic Acid Perchloric Acid Uses of Sodium Hydroxide Zinc Acetate

Jasleen Taneja

Updated on Jun 4, 2024 16:31 IST

What is the meaning of the strength of acid?

Acid strength is an indicator of acid, as such they tend to lose its H+ ion. We know that simple acids are having a pH below 7, they turn blue litmus paper red. Acid strength is the propensity of the acid to dissolve into the proton, the H+, and the anion, the A−. The dissociation of strong acid in the solution is complete, excluding in its most concentrated solutions. Now it is accepted that the effects of the substituent can cause the property of a weak organic. We understand that acid strength is solvent-dependent.

What is the way to distinguish between strong acids and weak acids?

Characteristics of Strong Acids	Characteristics of Weak Acids
Gets completely ionized in a solution	Gets only partially ionized in a solution.
Highly Corrosive	Mildly corrosive and present in our food and body.

Table of Contents

Which factors do they measure the strength of the acid?
Illustrated examples
FAQs on Acid Strength

Which factors do they measure the strength of the acid?

An acid with a greater degree of dissociation behaves as a strong acid. The degree of dissociation of acid is based on the two factors. The H-A bond polarity and strength of the H-A bond are two main factors that contribute to the ease of deprotonation.

Strength of the H-A bond
The polarity of the H-A bond

It is noted that the weaker the strength of the H-A bond, the stronger the acid. Similarly, the greater the polarity of the H-A bond, the stronger is the acid.

This chapter is for 10th class, under Acids, Bases, and Salts category. This chapter highlights the nature and behaviour of Acids, bases and salts, and having weightage 3% in the board exam.

Illustrated examples

1. Which acid is a weak acid?

Examples of weak acids include acetic acid, which is found in vinegar, and oxalic acid.

2. How to calculate the Percent Ionization from pH.

Calculate the percent ionization of a 0.125-M solution of nitrous acid (a weak acid), with a pH of 2.09.

Answer: The percent ionization for acid is,

[H3O+][HNO2]×100

We have to convert the provided pH to hydronium ion molarity.

[H3O+]=10-2.09=0.0081M, (M=molarity)

Substituting this value and the provided initial acid concentration into the per cent ionization equation gives

8.1×10-30.125×100=6.5% (By using a logarithmic table)

(One may recall the provided pH value of 2.09 is logarithmic, and so it contains just two digits).

FAQs on Acid Strength

Q. What factors affect the strength of acid?

A. It depends on the H-A bond's strength. The weaker the bond, the lower the energy needed to break it. The H-A bond's polarity impacts its acid strength. The proton appears to depart the molecule more quickly if the bond is strongly polar, making it a powerful acid

Q. What is the king of acid?

A. Sulfuric acid is sometimes called the "king of chemicals" because it is manufactured in such huge volumes worldwide.

Q. Who's the Queen of Acids?

A. More often, Nitric acid (HNO3) is called the 'Queen of Acids'

Q. What makes an acid strong or weak?

A. Strong acids have mostly ions in solution, then the bonds holding H and A together must be weak. Strong acids easily break apart into ions. Weak acids exist mostly as molecules with only a few ions in solution.

Q. What are the seven strong acids?

A. Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, Hydrobromic Acid (HBr), Hydroiodic Acid (HI), Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4), Nitric Acid (HNO3), Perchloric Acid (HClO4), and Chloric Acid (HClO3) are seven strong acids.