Strong Acids

In an aqueous solution, a strong acid is totally dissociated or ionised. H+ is a chemical species that has a high potential for proton loss. A strong acid loses one proton in water, which is taken by water and converted to the hydronium ion: HA(aq) + H2O H3O+(aq) + A (aq)

Although diprotic and polyprotic acids can lose more than one proton, the pKa value and reaction for strong acid” are only concerned with the proton loss.

Strong acids have a high acid dissociation constant (Ka)and a small logarithmic constant (pKa) .

Strong Acids Examples

There are a lot of weak acids, but only a few strong acids. The following are examples of common strong acids:

HCl (hydrochloric acid) 

(H2SO4) (sulfuric acid)

HNO3  (nitric acid)

HBr(hydrobromic acid)

HClO4  (perchloric acid)

HI(hydroiodic acid)

p-toluenesulfonic acid (an organic soluble strong acid)

methanesulfonic acid  (a liquid organic strong acid)

Although they are not more acidic than the hydronium ion, H3O+, the following acids dissociate almost completely in water and are commonly referred to as strong acids:

HNO3 (nitric acid)

HCO3  (chloric acid)

The hydronium ion, bromic acid, periodic acid, perbromic acid, and periodic acid are all considered strong acids by some scientists.

If the ability to donate protons is the key requirement for acid strength, the following are the strong acids (in order of strength):

H[SbF6] (fluoroantimonic acid)

FSO3HSbF5 (magic acid)

H(CHB11Cl11) (carborane superacid)

FSO3H (fluorosulfuric acid)

CF3SO3H (triflic acid)

These are “superacids,” which are acids that are more acidic than sulfuric acid at 100 percent. Water is permanently protonated by superacids.

Acid Strength Determining Factors

You could be wondering why certain weak acids do not entirely ionise or why strong acids dissociate so well. There are a few aspects to consider:

Atomic radius: Acidity rises as the atomic radius rises. For instance, HI is a more powerful acid than HCl (iodine is a larger atom than chlorine).

Electronegativity:The more electronegative (A–) a conjugate base is in the same period of the periodic table, the more acidic it is.

Electrical charge: The stronger the positive charge on an atom, the more acidic it is. In other words, obtaining a proton from a neutral species is easier than obtaining one from a negatively charged species.

Equilibrium: When an acid dissociates, it comes to a state of equilibrium with its conjugate base. The equilibrium significantly favours the product or is to the right of a chemical equation in the case of strong acids. A strong acid’s conjugate base is substantially weaker than water as a base.

Solvent: Strong acids are commonly used as a solvent in conjunction with water in most applications. In nonaqueous solvents, on the other hand, acidity and basicity have importance.Acetic acid, for example, ionises entirely in liquid ammonia and may be regarded as a strong acid, despite being a weak acid in water.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl):

 The water-based, or aqueous, solution of hydrogen chloride gas is known as hydrochloric acid. It’s also the primary component of gastric acid, a digestive acid produced spontaneously in the human stomach. Hydrochloric acid is also manufactured synthetically for a variety of industrial and commercial uses, and can be made using a variety of methods, including dissolving hydrogen chloride gas in water.

Sulfuric acid (sulphuric acid) is a caustic mineral acid that has an oily, glassy appearance, earning it the nickname “oil of vitriol.” Other names for this chemical include sulphine acid, battery acid, and hydrogen sulphate. H2SO4 is the formula for sulfuric acid, which has a sulphur atom surrounded by two hydroxide compounds and two oxygen atoms. This powerful acid is used in a variety of industries, including fertiliser and chemical production.This multifunctional acid is the third most extensively made industrial chemical and is produced in vast amounts. Sulfur dioxide is produced by burning molten sulphur in simple contact-processing units (SO2). At fairly high temperatures, this gas is cooled and subsequently oxidised to generate sulphur trioxide (SO3). Sulfur trioxide forms sulfuric acid when it combines with hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water.

Nitric acid (HNO3):

 Strong acids, such as nitric acid, fall into this category. It appears colourless in its purest form. With the passage of time, it becomes older and hence takes on a yellow colour. The breakdown of nitric acid into nitrogen oxides and water causes this coloration. Nitric acid is highly corrosive and harmful by nature. It can also result in severe skin burns.The nitrate salts are easily formed when it reacts with hydroxides, metals, and oxides. As a result, it can be used as a potent oxidising agent.

It can be made by catalysing the oxidation of ammonia. It is a common laboratory reagent as well as a significant chemical utilised in the production of explosives and fertilisers in many industries. The 3.01 is the value for pH for nitric acid.The notion of nitric acid will be explained in this article.

Perchloric acid (HClO4):

 Perchloric acid has the formula HClO4 and is a mineral acid. This colourless chemical, which is usually found as an aqueous solution, is a stronger acid than sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid It is a powerful oxidant when heated, although at room temperature, aqueous solutions up to 70% by weight are usually innocuous, with just strong acid qualities .Perchloric acid is used to create perchlorate salts, especially ammonium perchlorate, which is an important component of rocket fuel. Perchloric acid is very corrosive and rapidly reacts with other chemicals to form explosive mixtures:

Conclusion:

Perchloric acid is extremely corrosive and can easily combine with other chemicals to create explosive combinations.:

Strong acids can be organic or inorganic in nature.

Strong acids must be handled with caution since they can cause severe chemical burns.

Strong acids are required for several processes, such as the synthesis and hydrolysis of carbonyl compounds.