Final answer:
To determine acid and base strength, assess the conjugate base's stability, inductive effects, and bond strength. HClO3 is the strongest acid followed by H3PO4, then CH3PO3 H2. The strongest base is OH¯, while CF3S¯ is the weakest base.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ranking Acid and Base Strength
To rank acids from weakest to strongest, we look at the stability of the conjugate base, inductive effect, and bond strength. A strong acid will have a stable conjugate base, which means it is comfortable with the negative charge. Inductive effects, where electronegative atoms pull electron density away from the acidic proton, also increase acid strength.
For the acids H3PO4, CH3PO3 H2, and HClO3, we can rank them based on these criteria. HClO3 is the strongest acid because it has the most oxo groups increasing the inductive effect, stabilizing the conjugate base. H3PO4 is next with fewer oxo groups than HClO3 and finally, CH3PO3 H2 is the weakest acid as the CH3 group does not provide the same inductive stabilization.
Regarding bases, we compare the base strength through the stability and charge of the molecule. The strongest base will be the least stable with the most localized charge. OH¯ is stronger than CH3S¯, as oxygen is more electronegative and stabilizes the negative charge less effectively, making OH¯ more reactive. CF3S¯ is the weakest base since the three fluorine atoms withdraw electron density, stabilizing the negative charge on sulfur and rendering it less basic.