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Choose the Best Answer · Q15

Q.Which of the following is strongest acid among all?

(a) HI
(b) HF
(c) HBr
(d) HCl
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Step 1. Recall the acid-strength trend.

Acid strength of the hydrohalic acids in water increases in the order HF < HCl < HBr < HI, the opposite of the thermal-stability/bond-strength trend.

Step 2. Explain why.

As the halogen gets larger down the group, the H-X bond gets longer and weaker (as reflected in the falling bond dissociation enthalpies from HF to HI), so the bond ionises more readily in water. In addition, the larger, more polarisable halide ion (I- especially) stabilises the negative charge of the conjugate base more effectively, and the very weak hydrogen bonding of HI compared with HF (which instead forms exceptionally strong H-bonds that partly hold the proton back, making HF anomalously weak) further f …

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