Final answer:
The strength of hydroacids and halides follows predictable trends based on periodic table properties like electronegativity and bond strength. Hydroacids become weaker as the A-H bond strength increases, while water's leveling effect makes strong acids appear equally strong when dissolved in water. Variations in acid strength are observable when acids are dissolved in solvents less basic than water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strength of hydroacids and halides does indeed follow predictable trends on the periodic table. For hydroacids, the bond strength between hydrogen and the halogen (A-H bond) plays a significant role in determining the acid's strength. Generally, the weaker the A-H bond, the more acidic the compound because the bond more readily breaks to release H+ ions.
Interestingly, when these acids are in water, they all appear equally strong due to water's leveling effect, which completely ionizes strong acids to form hydronium ions (H3O+). This means that to determine true differences in strength among strong acids like HC1, HBr, and HI, they need to be dissolved in solvents less basic than water, like ethanol.
Halides also show trends in reactivity. The acid strengths of binary hydrides, for example, increase left to right across a period and down a group in the periodic table. This is due to the changes in bond polarity and the stability of the conjugate base. Furthermore, salts formed from reactions of hydrohalic acids with various compounds often exhibit differing solubilities, with chloride salts like AgCl, PbCl2, and Hg₂Cl₂ being common insoluble exceptions.
Thus, while all hydrogen halides are very soluble in water and with the exception of HF, they are considered strong acids in water. The hydroacid or halide strength directly correlates with the periodic trends and properties of the elements involved, such as electronegativity and bond strength, rather than being random