SME
Organic Chemistry I · Problem type
Acids from strongest to weakest
Use this for “Rank phenol, water, ethyne and ammonia from the strongest acid to the weakest.”
Put in order
Order from the strongest acid to the weakest.
1
?
2
?
3
?
4
?
5
?
6
?
7
?
Assumptions
•
The stronger the acid, the smaller its pKₐ; each step of 1 in pKₐ is a factor of 10 in Kₐ.
•
An acid is strong when the base it leaves is stable: on a more electronegative atom, spread by resonance, or in an orbital with more s character.
•
Each acid’s pKₐ shows under it once it is placed; the values are rounded, as tables give them.
Topic check
See what you know: 5 questions on this topic
New questions each time. Pass to mark it complete.
Related lessons
Structure and nomenclature
Main lesson
Rings and π bonds from a formula
Use this for “A compound is C₅H₇N. How many rings and π bonds can it have?”
Which way an acid–base reaction lies
Use this for “Does hydroxide take the proton from phenol (pKₐ 9.95)? Water’s pKₐ is 15.7. Find K.”
The name’s ending from the functional group
Use this for “Name HOCH₂CH₂COOH. Which group gives the ending, and which becomes a prefix?”