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Chapter 44: Problem 10

Which hydrogen atom is the most acidic hydrogen atom in HCOOH?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The hydrogen atom in the O-H bond of HCOOH (formic acid) is the most acidic hydrogen atom.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the structure of the molecule

Begin by looking at the structure of HCOOH (formic acid). The molecular structure shows that there are two hydrogen atoms; one is bonded to carbon (C-H) and the other one is bonded to oxygen (O-H).
02

Compare hydrogen bonds

The next step is to compare the two bonds. The C-H bond is a non polar bond while the O-H bond is a polar bond. It is important to note that a more polar bond drops their hydrogen more easily because of the difference in electronegativity.
03

Identify the most acidic hydrogen

With this in mind, the hydrogen in the O-H bond is more likely to be donated; therefore, it is the most acidic hydrogen.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The H-X bond strength decreases in the series HF, HCl, HBr, HI. Explain this trend in terms of the molecular structure of the molecules.

What structural feature or atomic property accounts for the decrease in the partial charge on the acidic hydrogen in the series HOCl, HOBr, HOI?

Which hydrogen atom is the most acidic hydrogen atom in \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}\) ?

What structural features or atomic property causes the partial charge on the acidic hydrogen to increase in the series \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COOH}, \quad \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{ClCOOH}\), \(\mathrm{CHCl}_{2} \mathrm{COOH}, \mathrm{CCl}_{3} \mathrm{COOH} ?\)
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