Answer:
Hydrofluoric acid.
Explanation:
To know which of the acid is the strongest, let us determine the pka of each acid. This is illustrated below:
1. Acetic acid
Ka = 1.8x10^-5
pKa =..?
pKa = –logKa
pKa = –Log 1.8x10^-5
pKa = 4.74
2. Benzoic acid
Ka = 6.5x10^-5
pKa =..?
pKa = –logKa
pKa = –Log 6.5x10^-5
pKa = 4.18
3. Hydrofluoric acid.
Ka = 6.8x10^-4
pKa =..?
pKa = –logKa
pKa = –Log 6.8x10^-4
pKa = 3.17
4. Hypochlorous acid
Ka = 3.0x10^-8
pKa =..?
pKa = –logKa
pKa = –Log 3.0x10^-8
pKa = 7.52
Note: the smaller the pKa value, the stronger the acid.
The pka of the various acids as calculated above is given below:
Acid >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pKa
1. Acetic acid >>>>>>>>>> 4.74
2. Benzoic acid >>>>>>>> 4.18
3. Hydrofluoric acid >>>> 3.17
4. Hypochlorous acid >> 7.52
From the above illustration, we can see that hydrofluoric acid has the lowest pKa value. Therefore, hydrofluoric acid is the strongest among them.
