he IUPAC name of acetic acid, CH3COOH(aq), is ethanoic acid. It ionizes in water as shown below:
CH3COOH (aq) + H2O (l) → H3O+(aq) + CH3COO–(aq)
At equilibrium, which of the following statements is correct?
a) Products are favoured.
b) Reactants are favoured.
c) One of the reactants and one of the products are favoured.
d) The concentration of reactants and products are equal.
e) H3O+(aq) is a weaker acid than CH3COOH (aq)
The correct answer is b) Reactants are favoured.
This is because acetic acid is a weak acid and does not ionize completely in water. The equilibrium lies more towards the reactants, indicating that the reactants are favored.