Final answer:
The inductive effect weakens with distance and relates to an atom's ability to polarize bonds, but the weakening effect with distance does not explain the bond polarization. Both statements are correct separately, but the reason given does not explain the assertion. The answer is Option B: Both Assertion and Reason are correct but Reason is not the correct explanation for Assertion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to the concept of the inductive effect in organic chemistry. The reason provided is that the inductive effect weakens steadily with increasing distance from the substituent, which is a correct statement. It is accurate because the polarizing effect of an electronegative atom, such as a halogen, diminishes as the distance between it and the affected bond increases. The assertion suggests that the inductive effect implies an atom's ability to cause bond polarization, which is also correct. This refers to how electronegative atoms can draw electron density through sigma bonds, causing a shift in electron density and thus polarizing the molecule.
However, while both the reason and assertion are correct, the reason is not the correct explanation for the assertion. The inductive effect's decrease with distance does not explain the atom's ability to cause bond polarization; it is just a characteristic of how the effect manifests itself within a molecule. Therefore, the appropriate answer would be 'Both Assertion and Reason are correct but Reason is not the correct explanation for Assertion'.
Moreover, the inductive effect can influence the acidity or basicity of a molecule. As the inductive effect stabilizes the lone pair on the conjugate base, it can make a proton (H+) more acidic, since it will be more likely to dissociate. Therefore, substituents that have a strong inductive effect can increase the acidity of a compound.