Question

Which is a stronger acid: acetic acid or hydrochloric acid?

Answer 1

The mineral acid, `HCl`, is a much stronger acid than `"acetic acid"`.

Explanation:

And how do we assess this? How else but by reference to its acid base equilibrium in water..........

`HX(aq)+H_2O(l)rarrH_3O^+(aq) + X^(-)`

`K_a=([H_3O^+][X^-])/([HX])`

For `"acetic acid"`..........`K_a=1.73xx10^-5`.

For `"HCl"`..........`K_a=1.3xx10^6`.

So hydrochloric acid is over 10 orders of magnitude STRONGER.