Identify the correct statements among the following. (a) Acetate ion ( \(\left.\mathrm{CH}_{3}-\mathrm{COO}^{-}\right)\) is a weaker base than ethoxide ion \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{O}^{-}\right)\). (b) HF has higher boiling point than HCl. (c) Tartaric acid (HOOC - CHOH - CHOH - COOH) has three optically active isomers. (d) \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{7} \mathrm{CN}\) is known as propyl cyanide as well as butane nitrile.

Understanding the difference in boiling points between hydrofluoric acid (HF) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) involves exploring intermolecular forces, primarily hydrogen bonding. HF exhibits hydrogen bonds because of the small size and high electronegativity of fluorine, allowing it to form strong bonds with hydrogen.

Hydrogen bonds are a special type of dipole-dipole interaction but are significantly stronger, which translate to higher boiling points. This is why HF has a higher boiling point than HCl, which can only form regular dipole-dipole interactions. Chemical compounds with stronger intermolecular forces require more energy to break these attractions during the phase transition from liquid to gas, thereby possessing higher boiling points.

Isomerism is a concept which plays a critical role in organic chemistry and pharmacology. Optically active isomers, also known as enantiomers, are pairs of non-superimposable mirror-image molecules. In simpler terms, they behave like our hands, similar but not identical, and cannot be laid on top of each other.

The presence of chirality centers, typically carbon atoms with four different groups attached, is what drives the formation of optically active isomers. Two enantiomers of a chiral molecule will rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions, one to the left (levorotatory) and the other to the right (dextrorotatory). Understanding the implications of chirality and optical activity helps in determining the exact number of unique isomers that can exist for any given molecule with chiral centers.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) created a standardized system for naming chemical compounds. This nomenclature ensures that each compound has a unique and universally accepted name.

For alkanitriles, the naming involves counting the carbon atoms in the longest chain that includes the carbon in the CN group, assigning the chain a prefix based on the number of carbons (e.g., methane for one carbon, ethane for two carbons), and ending with the suffix '-nitrile'. An understanding of these rules is essential to correctly naming organic molecules and avoiding the use of outdated or non-systematic names.