Final answer:
The hydrogens in the given compounds can be ranked in order of increasing acidity based on the stabilization of the conjugate base, with the correct order being C, CH, CH2, CH3.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to rank the hydrogens shown in bold (from a hydrocarbon context) in order of increasing acidity: A) CH3, CH2, CH, C B) CH, CH2, CH3, C C) C, CH, CH2, CH3 D) C, CH3, CH2, CH. The order of increasing acidity for these hydrogens generally follows the pattern of stabilization of the conjugate base that would result after deprotonation. Here, a carbon atom with more attached hydrogen atoms (e.g., CH3) makes a less stable conjugate base compared to a carbon with fewer hydrogen atoms (e.g., C).
The correct ranking would be from least acidic to most acidic, which is C) C, CH, CH2, CH3. As you move from an sp3-hybridized carbon to an sp-hybridized carbon, the s-character of the carbon atom increases, which makes the hydrogen bond more polar and thus easier to remove (i.e., more acidic).