Question

Why do HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃, etc., show acid character in aqueous solutions while solutions of compounds like C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose) and C₂H₅OH (alcohol) do not show acidic character?

Answer 1

HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃, etc., dissociate in aqueous solutions to give H⁺(aq) ions, which are a vital part of an acid and determine the acidic property of acids.
C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose) and C₂H₅OH (alcohol) do not dissociate in aqueous solutions even though they contain hydrogen atoms.
Hence, HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃, etc., show acidic character in aqueous solutions, whereas solutions of compounds such as C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose) and C₂H₅OH (alcohol) do not show acidic character.