Question

Draw the structures of ethanol and acetic (ethanoic) acid in the ground and conjugate acid states and then account why acetic acid is a stronger acid than ethanol.

Answer 1

answer) ethanol chemical formula ; CH3CH2OH

  acetic acid chemical formula; CH3COOH

the structures of ethanol and acetic acid in ground state given below ;

according to bronsted lowry concept a conjugated acid is a substance which accepts a hydrogen ion from the conjugate base.

acid + base conjugate base + conjugate acid

when ethanol recieves a hydrogen ion from its conjugate base to form conjugate acid ; CH3CH2OH2+

acetic acid recives a hydrogen ion from its conjugate base to form conjugate acis ; CH3COOH2+

the structures of conjugate acids given below

acetic acid is more acidic than ethanol. this is because, the anion formed by the removal of hydrogen atom from acetic acid which is called acetate anion is more resonance stabilized. but the anion formed from ethanol molecule(ethoxide anion) is not resonance stabilized. here on both of the molecule the negative charge lies on the oxygen atom. so here the resonance effect is the only effect which contributes acidity.the electron paires delocalized in resonance structures.this delocalization increase stability of base formed from this. greater stability accounts lower reactivity, and it become a weak base. so a weaker base has a strongrer conjugate acid. here the acetate anion has two such structure on which electrons on one oxygen atom shares two other oxygen atom. the structure is given below;