Science
Why do HCl, HNO3, etc., show acidic characters in aqueous solutions while solutions of compounds like alcohol and glucose do not show acidic character?
Answer
HCl and HNO3 show acidic character because they ionise in aqueous solution to form hydronium ions (H3O+).
Ionisation of HCl in water:
HCl ⟶ H+ + Cl-
H+ + H2O ⟶ H3O+
Ionisation of HNO3 in water:
HNO3 ⟶ H+ + NO3-
H+ + H2O ⟶ H3O+
C2H5OH (Ethanol) and C6H12O6 (Glucose) are covalent compounds. They do not ionise in water to form hydronium ions [H3O+]. Hence, they don't show acidic character.
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