Question

Question 41.
What are strong and weak acids ? In the following list of acids, separate strong acids from weak acids, Hydrochloric acid, citric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, formic acid, sulphuric acid.

Answer 1

Strong acid: The acid that ionises completely in aqueous solution, thus producing a high concentration of ${\text{H}}_3{\text{O}}^{+}$ ions. E.g., $\text{HCl},{\text{H}}_2{\text{SO}}_4,{\text{HNO}}_3$, etc.
Weak acid: The acid that ionises only partially in aqueous solution and thus it produces ions as well as molecules. E.g., acetic acid, carbonic acid, etc.

$\begin{array}{cc}\text{Strong acid}& \text{Weak acid}\\ \text{Hydrochloric acid}& \text{Citric acid}\\ \text{Nitric acid}& \text{Acetic acid}\\ \text{Sulphuric acid}& \text{Formic acid}\end{array}$