Saturday, September 10, 2011

Chemistry Form 4: Chapter 7 - How to Differentiate Between Strong Acid and Weak Acid

A) Reaction between acids and reactive metals

  • Strong acids can react with reactive metal faster and more vigorously. More hydrogen gas produced at a faster rate.
  • Weak acids can react with reactive metal slower and less vigorously. Less hydrogen gas produced at a slower rate.
B) Electrical conductivity

 

Conductivity Behavior of Acids 
 Compounds
Appearance of light bulb

 Classification
Weak or Strong

 Inference of Ions or Molecules
 water, H2O  no light  weak  molecules
 hydrochloric acid, HCl  bright  strong  ions
  acetic acid, HC2H3O2  dim  weak mostly molecules, less ions
  • Strong acids able to conduct electricity better as shown in hydrochloric acid because it contains a large number of freely moving ions as strong acids dissociate completely in water.
  • Weak acids conduct electricity weakly as shown in acetic acid because it contains a few number of moving ions as weak acids dissociate partially in water. Most of weak acids still remain in covalent molecule.

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