Question

Which of the following is the stronger acid: CH2ClCOOH or CHCl2COOH?

A) CH2ClCOOH
B) CHCl2COOH
C) Both have equal strength
D) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

In this case, CH2ClCOOH is the stronger acid compared to CHCl2COOH due to the increased stability of its conjugate base.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing the strength of two acids, we need to look at the stability of their conjugate bases. In this case, the conjugate bases of CH2ClCOOH and CHCl2COOH are CH2ClCOO- and CHCl2COO- respectively. The stability of a conjugate base depends on its ability to distribute the negative charge. Generally, the more electronegative atoms there are, the more stable the conjugate base. In CH2ClCOOH, there are more electronegative chlorine atoms, making the conjugate base CH2ClCOO- more stable. Therefore, CH2ClCOOH is the stronger acid.