Lesson Summary

How to Sort Acids and Bases by Strength

1. Charge – Positively charged compounds are typically more acidic, negatively charged compounds are typically more basic.

2. Atom – The more electronegative/larger the atom with a negative charge, the more acidic the hydrogen is.

3. Resonance – The more resonance-stabilized the conjugate base, the stronger the acid.

4. Dipole Induction – Electron withdrawing groups increase acidity, electron donating groups decrease acidity.

5. Orbitals – The more s-character an atom has, the more electronegative it is, and the more acidic hydrogen’s bonded to it will be. i.e. sp > sp² > sp³