Which is the stronger acid in each of the following pair #H_2SeO_3# or #H_2SeO_4#?

Question

Which is the  stronger acid in each of the following pair #H_2SeO_3# or #H_2SeO_4#?

HIX Tutor · Accepted Answer

undefined To find the stronger acid, follow these steps:

1. **Identify the acids:** We have H₂SeO₃ and H₂SeO₄.

2. **Look at their structure:** H₂SeO₄ has more oxygen than H₂SeO₃.

3. **More oxygens = stronger acid:** Generally, more oxygen means a stronger acid because it helps release H⁺ ions.

4. **Conclusion:** H₂SeO₄ is the stronger acid than H₂SeO₃.

So, **H₂SeO₄** is stronger!

Ruby Allen · Answer

#"H"_2"SeO"_4# is the stronger acid.

When the number of atoms bonded to the central atom of an oxyacid increases, the acidity of the oxyacid also increases. Thus, we predict that #"H"_2"SeO"_4# should be a stronger acid than #"H"_2"SeO"_3#. This is confirmed by their #K_"a"# values . #"H"_2"SeO"_4# has #K_a >1#, while #"H"_2"SeO"_3# has #K_a = 2.3 × 10^-3#.

Christian Anderson · Answer

undefined H₂SeO₄ is the stronger acid in the pair H₂SeO₃ or H₂SeO₄.