Final answer:
HBrO, or hypobromous acid, is considered a weak acid because it does not completely dissociate in water, and its anion, bromide (Br−), is a very weak base.
Step-by-step explanation:
HBrO, or hypobromous acid, is a compound that provides insight into the relative strengths of acids and bases. According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, an acid is a proton (hydrogen ion) donor and a base is a proton (hydrogen ion) acceptor. The fact that the bromide anion (Br−) derived from HBr, which is a strong acid, makes the HBrO molecule a weak acid when compared to its halogen-based counterparts such as HI or HCl, which fully dissociate in aqueous solutions exhibiting strong acid behavior.
Since HBrO does not completely dissociate in water and its conjugate base is very weak, hindering any significant reassociation, this places HBrO in the category of weak acids rather than strong acids, strong bases, or weak bases. This conclusion is supported by comparing its behavior to stronger acids like HCl, HBr, and HI, which completely dissociate in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the trend of acidity increasing down the halogen group suggests that HBrO would be less acidic than a hypothetical acid like HOI.