Arrange the following carboxylic acids inorder of decreasing acid strength. Rank from strongest to weakest acid. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them. CHCl2COOH, CH3CH2COOH, CH3COOH, CH2ClCOOH

Question

Chemistry

Valencia

30 January, 14:24

Arrange the following carboxylic acids inorder of decreasing acid strength. Rank from strongest to weakest acid. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them. CHCl2COOH, CH3CH2COOH, CH3COOH, CH2ClCOOH

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Answers (1)

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Regina Parker · Answer 1

CHCl2COOH >CH2ClCOOH>CH3COOH>CH3CH2COOH

Explanation:

CHCl2COOH is stronger than CH2ClCOOH because of the stronger electron-withdrawing effect of chlorine in the former which has 2 chlorine than the later with one Chlorine atom, This effect is caused by the electronegativity of chlorine. The withdrawing effect means the negative charge carried on the acetate anion is spread more widely on the molecule, which stabilizes the acetate ions more than the ones with little or no chlorine atom, consequently, CH2ClCOOH>CH3COOH and the longer alkyl chain in CH3CH2COOH makes it the weakest, the longer the alkyl group the weaker the acid