Arrange the following acid in increasing order of strengths ${(H C O_{3})}_{3}^{-}, {(H_{3} O)}_{3}^{+}, {(H S O_{4})}_{4}^{-}, H S O_{3} F$ $(HCO_3 )^- , (H_3 O )^+ , (HSO_4) ^ - , HSO_3 F$ ?

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Arrange the following acid in increasing order of strengths ${(H C O_{3})}_{3}^{-}, {(H_{3} O)}_{3}^{+}, {(H S O_{4})}_{4}^{-}, H S O_{3} F$ $(HCO_3 )^- , (H_3 O )^+ , (HSO_4) ^ - , HSO_3 F$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2016-06-18T19:50:42

$Weakest to strongest: H C O_{3}^{-}, H S O_{4}^{-}, H S O_{3} F$ $"Weakest to strongest: "HCO_3^-, HSO_4^-, HSO_3F$

Explanation:

We cannot consider the hydronium ion, $H_{3} O^{+}$ $H_3O^+$ , as it is an hypothetical entity, whereas the the other species are stuff you could put in a bottle and characterize. We conceive that when an acid is put into water, a strong acid protonates water to form the hydronium ion, $H_{3} O^{+}$ $H_3O^+$ .

I am breaking my own rule, and not looking at metrics, which I should properly do, but here we can use induction.

The strength of an acid relates to how far the following equilibrium lies to the right:

$H A (a q) + H_{2} O (l) ⇌ H_{3} O^{+} + A^{-}$ $HA(aq) + H_2O(l) rightleftharpoons H_3O^+ + A^-$

For stronger acids, the equilibrium lies further to the right. Again this reaction illustrates my reluctance to consider the acidity of $H_{3} O^{+}$ $H_3O^+$ , the acidium ion in water, as it is the result of acid-base behavior in water.

We have a choice between anions and neutral species, and, reasonably, the anions, bicarbonate, and bisulfate should be weaker acids than the neutral species.

So the strongest acid is fluorosulfonic acid, $H S O_{3} F$ $HSO_3F$ , then bisulfate, $H S O_{4}^{-}$ $HSO_4^-$ , and then bicarbonate, $H C O_{3}^{-}$ $HCO_3^-$ . I urge you to look up $p K_{a}$ $pK_a$ values for these acids.

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Arrange the following acid in increasing order of strengths ${(H C O_{3})}_{3}^{-}, {(H_{3} O)}_{3}^{+}, {(H S O_{4})}_{4}^{-}, H S O_{3} F$ $(HCO_3 )^- , (H_3 O )^+ , (HSO_4) ^ - , HSO_3 F$ ?

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Arrange the following acid in increasing order of strengths (HCO3)−,(H3O)+,(HSO4)−,HSO3F(HCO_3 )^- , (H_3 O )^+ , (HSO_4) ^ - , HSO_3 F?

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Arrange the following acid in increasing order of strengths ${(H C O_{3})}_{3}^{-}, {(H_{3} O)}_{3}^{+}, {(H S O_{4})}_{4}^{-}, H S O_{3} F$ $(HCO_3 )^- , (H_3 O )^+ , (HSO_4) ^ - , HSO_3 F$ ?