Which is the strongest acid?
Correct answer: D. CCl3COOH
- A. CH3COOH
- B. CH2ClCOOH
- C. CHCl2COOH
- D. CCl3COOH
Explanation
The acidity of a carboxylic acid is influenced by the presence of substituents that can stabilize the carboxylate ion. Electron-withdrawing groups, such as chlorine atoms, help stabilize the negative charge by dispersing it, thereby increasing acidity.In this question, CCl3COOH is the strongest acid because it has three chlorine atoms, which are highly effective electron-withdrawing groups. This makes the molecule more acidic than the others, which have fewer chlorine atoms or electron-donating groups like the methyl group in CH3COOH.
This question appeared on the ETEA MDCAT 2012 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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About Reactivity of Carboxylic Acids
Carboxylic acids show acidic behaviour because their carboxylate ions are resonance-stabilised, and electron-withdrawing groups can change their strength. Reactions include neutralisation, esterification, formation of acid chlorides and amides, reduction, decarboxylation and substitution at the acyl carbon, which differs from the reactions of phenols.
Practise Carboxylic Acids
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