Rank the following solutions in order of increasing acidity.

1 M phenol
1 M boric acid
1 M cyanic acid
1 M formic acid
1 M hydrochloric acid

2. Rank the following solutions in order of increasing basicity.

1 M C3H5O3Na
1 M KF
1 M KOCN
1 M KOCl

All I know is that HCl is the strongest acid. I'm really lost and would appreciate some urgent help.

You're right. HCl is the strongest acid. Note that all of the other acids are weak and have a Ka. Look in your text for Ka for each. Then rank the Ka values from weak to strong. The smallest Ka will be the weakest acid.

#2. All of these are salts and K^+ is not hydrolyzed. The anion of each is hydrolyzed. Kb for each anion = Kw/Ka where H2 = 1E-14 and Ka is the Ka for the corresponding acid; e.g., KOCl is HOCl for Ka, KOCN is HOCN for Ka, etc. The value of Kb (Kw/Ka) will give you the relative strengths. Note that all anions give the weak acid + OH^- upon hydrolysis.

To rank the solutions in order of increasing acidity, we need to determine the relative strengths of the acids. Acidity is typically determined by the ability of an acid to donate protons (H+ ions). The stronger an acid, the more easily it will donate protons.

One way to compare the relative strengths of acids is by looking at their Ka values (acid dissociation constants). Higher Ka values indicate a stronger acid.

Let's determine the Ka values of the given acids to rank them in order of increasing acidity.

1. M phenol: Phenol does not have a clear-cut Ka value, but it is a very weak acid compared to the others in the list. Hence, we'll consider it the least acidic.

2. M boric acid: Boric acid has a Ka value of about 5.8 x 10^-10. Its Ka value is quite small compared to the other acids in the list, making it less acidic than the rest.

3. M cyanic acid: Cyanic acid (HOCN) has a Ka value of about 3.5 x 10^-4. Since this value is larger than boric acid's Ka value, cyanic acid is more acidic than boric acid but less acidic than the remaining two acids.

4. M formic acid: Formic acid (HCOOH) has a Ka value of about 1.8 x 10^-4. This value is smaller than cyanic acid's Ka value, so formic acid is less acidic than cyanic acid but more acidic than boric acid.

5. M hydrochloric acid: Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is known to be a strong acid. While it doesn't have a precise Ka value because it fully dissociates in water, we know it is the strongest acid on the list.

Therefore, the ranking of the solutions in order of increasing acidity is:

1 M phenol < 1 M boric acid < 1 M cyanic acid < 1 M formic acid < 1 M hydrochloric acid

For the second part of your question, let's rank the solutions in order of increasing basicity. Basicity refers to the ability of a substance to accept protons (H+ ions), opposite to acidity.

To determine the basicity of the solutions, we'll need to consider the corresponding conjugate bases of the compounds. Generally, stronger bases have a higher affinity for protons and can accept them more readily.

1. M C3H5O3Na: Sodium lactate (C3H5O3Na) is the conjugate base of lactic acid. It is a weak base, so it can be considered the least basic among the given options.

2. M KF: Potassium fluoride (KF) is a weak base. It is the conjugate base of hydrofluoric acid, which is a weak acid.

3. M KOCN: Potassium cyanate (KOCN) is also a mild base, but it is slightly stronger than KF and C3H5O3Na.

4. M KOCl: Potassium hypochlorite (KOCl) is the conjugate base of hypochlorous acid, which is a weak acid. It has the highest basicity among the given options.

Therefore, the ranking of the solutions in order of increasing basicity is:

1 M C3H5O3Na < 1 M KF < 1 M KOCN < 1 M KOCl

I hope this explanation helps you understand the concepts of acidity and basicity better. Let me know if you have any further questions!