Which of the following is the strongest acid? $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{3} $$ $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{2} $$ $$ \mathrm{HBrO}_{3} $$ $$ \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ Save for Later

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Below is a step‐by‐step explanation of the reasoning:

1. **Identify the Types of Acids**

We are given three oxoacids and one polyprotic acid. The oxoacids are:
   
   - $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{3} $$: Chloric acid  
   - $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{2} $$: Chlorous acid  
   - $$ \mathrm{HBrO}_{3} $$: Bromic acid
   
   The polyprotic acid is:
   
   - $$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$: Sulfuric acid

2. **Acid Strength in Oxoacids**

For oxoacids (acids containing oxygen), the strength generally increases with the number of oxygen atoms because additional oxygen atoms help stabilize the negative charge on the conjugate base. Thus, for the chlorine-containing acids:
   
   - $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{3} $$ (chloric acid) is stronger than $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{2} $$ (chlorous acid) since the extra oxygen in chloric acid increases the electronegativity and stabilizes the conjugate base.
   
   For comparing halogen oxoacids with the same number of oxygen atoms, the electronegativity of the central atom plays a role. Chlorine is more electronegative than bromine, so:
   
   - $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{3} $$ is slightly stronger than $$ \mathrm{HBrO}_{3} $$.

3. **Strength of Polyprotic Acids**

$$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ (sulfuric acid) is a diprotic acid. Its first proton is released virtually completely (i.e., it is a strong acid), while the second dissociation is weaker. The effective strong acid behavior is determined by the first ionization, which has a very low $$ \mathrm{p}K_a $$ (typically much lower than that for oxoacids).

4. **Comparing with Known pKa Values**

Although many oxoacids are considered strong, the measured $$ pK_a $$ values indicate:
   
   - The first $$ pK_a $$ of $$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ is around $$-3$$ (or even lower in some references), which shows it is very strong.
   - $$ \mathrm{HClO}_{3} $$ and $$ \mathrm{HBrO}_{3} $$ have $$ pK_a $$ values that are not as negative as that of sulfuric acid.
   
   Therefore, from the $$ pK_a $$ perspective, $$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ is the strongest acid among the choices.

5. **Final Conclusion**

Taking all these factors into account, the strongest acid listed is:
   
   $$
   \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4}
   $$

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**Answer:** $$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ is the strongest acid.
$$ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{4} $$ is the strongest acid.

Which of the following is the strongest acid?

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Which of the following is the strongest acid? Save for Later