Acid Strength and the Inductive Effect: What’s the Connection?

The video tutorial explains how the presence of alkyl and halogen groups affects the acidity of carboxylic acids. Formic acid, lacking alkyl groups, is a strong acid, while acetic and propionic acids are weaker due to electron-repelling alkyl groups. Chloroacetic acid is stronger than acetic acid because chlorine, a strong electron-withdrawing group, increases acidity. Among halogen-substituted acids, fluoroacetic acid is the most acidic due to fluorine's strong electron-withdrawing effect. Trichloroacetic acid, with three chlorine atoms, exhibits a cumulative inductive effect, enhancing its acidity.

Which acid is the strongest due to the absence of alkyl groups?

• Acetic acid

• Chloroacetic acid

• Propionic acid

• Formic acid

What effect does the ethyl group have on the acidity of propionic acid?

• Decreases acidity

• Neutralizes acidity

• Increases acidity

• No effect

Why is chloroacetic acid stronger than acetic acid?

• Absence of alkyl groups

• Presence of an ethyl group

• Presence of a methyl group

• Presence of a chlorine group

Which halo-substituted acid is the most acidic?

• Bromoacetic acid

• Chloroacetic acid

• Fluoroacetic acid

• Iodoacetic acid

What is the effect of having three chlorine groups in trichloroacetic acid?

• No effect on acidity

• Neutralizes acidity

• Decreases acidity

• Increases acidity