Chapter 43: Problem 8

The acids in Table 2 are divided into two groups: those with \(K_{\mathrm{a}}>1\) and those with \(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{a}}<1\). Describe each of these two groups in terms of percent dissociation.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Acids with a Ka greater than 1 are strong acids and dissociate almost completely in solution, leading to a percent dissociation near 100%. In contrast, acids with a Ka less than 1 are weak acids and dissociate to a lesser extent, resulting in a lower percent dissociation.

Step by step solution

Understand Ka and Percent Dissociation

The acid dissociation constant, Ka, is a measure of the strength of an acid in solution. Larger Ka values correspond to stronger acids. Percent dissociation is a measure of the degree to which the acid molecules separate or dissociate into their ions in solution. The higher the percent dissociation, the more the acid has dissociated into its ions.

Describe Acids with Ka > 1

Acids with Ka greater than 1 are strong acids. This means that they dissociate almost completely in solution. Therefore, these types of acids have a percent dissociation that approaches 100%.

Describe Acids with Ka < 1

On the other hand, acids with Ka less than 1 are weak acids. They dissociate to a lesser extent in solution, thus, they have a percent dissociation much less than 100%.

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The acids in Table 2 are divided into two groups: those with \(K_{\mathrm{a}}>1\) and those with \(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{a}}<1\). Describe each of these two groups in terms of percent dissociation.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understand Ka and Percent Dissociation

Describe Acids with Ka > 1

Describe Acids with Ka < 1

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