MCAT Chemistry Question — Increasing pKa
- by
- Nov 28, 2014
- MCAT Blog, MCAT Chemistry, MCAT Question of the Day
- Reviewed By: Liz Flagge
Which of the following correctly lists the reagents in terms of increasing pKa?
A) Nitric Acid, Acetic Acid, Calcium Hydroxide
B) Calcium Hydroxide, Acetic Acid, Nitric Acid
C) Acetic Acid, Nitric Acid, Calcium Hydroxide
D) Calcium Hydroxide, Nitric Acid, Acetic Acid
Explanation
The reagents listed are all common ones that the MCAT will expect you to be familiar with:
Nitric Acid: HNO3, strong acid, pKa = -1.4
Acetic Acid: CH3COOH, weak acid, pKa = 4.76
Calcium Hydroxide: Ca(OH)2, strong base, pKa = 12.4
Acid strength correlates with pKa, so choice (A) is correct.
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