If 1M of HCl is placed with 1L of water, how would the amount of H3O+ compare to that of a solution made from 1M of acetic acid placed in 1L of water?

1 Answer
zhirou
Apr 19, 2018

The solution with #HCl# would have a much greater concentration of #H_3O^+# ions than the solution with acetic acid.

Explanation:

First, let's establish that #HCl#, or hydrochloric acid, is a strong acid, and that #CH_3COOH#, or acetic acid, is a weak acid.

They're both acids, which means that, according to the Bronsted-Lowry definition, both of them will donate #H^+# ions in an aqueous solution.
These #H^+# ions will form the hydronium ion, #H_3O^+#, with water molecules because #H_2O# has #2# lone pairs on the oxygen atom:

Mike Blaber

A strong acid is one that almost completely dissociates to donate #H^+# ions, and a weak acid is one that only somewhat dissociates.

So, if the same amount of a strong acid (#HCl#) and a weak acid (#CH_3COOH#) were placed in the same amount of water, the amount of #H_3O^+# concentration formed as a result of #H^+# ions being donated would be greater in the solution with #HCl#.

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