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What would happen to the strength of acetic acid if the three hydrogens that were on thte adjoining carbon were replaced with fluorines?
It would become a much stronger acid.
That would be F3C-COOH
To determine the effect of replacing the three hydrogens in acetic acid with fluorines on its strength as an acid, we can consider the concept of acidity and the electronegativity of the atoms involved.
Acidity is determined by the ability of a compound to donate a proton (H+) in a solution. Generally, the more stable the conjugate base, the stronger the acid. In this case, acetic acid (CH3COOH) donates a proton (H+) to form the acetate ion (CH3COO-).
When the three hydrogens on the adjacent carbon in acetic acid are replaced with fluorines, it forms trifluoroacetic acid (F3C-COOH). Fluorine is a highly electronegative atom, meaning it has a strong pull on the shared electrons in a chemical bond. This electron-withdrawing effect of fluorine makes the carbon-hydrogen bonds weaker and more prone to dissociation, resulting in a stronger acid.
To verify this, you can search for the pKa values (a measure of acid strength) of acetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid. The pKa value gives an indication of the tendency of a compound to donate protons. A lower pKa value corresponds to a stronger acid. By comparing the pKa values, you should be able to confirm that trifluoroacetic acid is indeed a stronger acid than acetic acid.