Cambridge O Level Chemistry · Syllabus 5070 · Acids, Bases and Salts
Strong Acid
What is Strong Acid?
An acid that is completely dissociated into ions in aqueous solution, so that every acid particle has released its hydrogen ion. Hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid are the strong acids named by this syllabus, and their dissociation is written with a single forward arrow.
This definition is part of the Acids, Bases and Salts chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.
Common mistakes with Strong Acid
- “A strong acid is a concentrated acid, or a corrosive one.” Repair Strong describes the extent of dissociation in aqueous solution: complete for a strong acid, partial for a weak one. Concentrated describes how much acid there is per unit volume. They are independent, so a dilute strong acid and a concentrated weak acid both exist.
Questions students ask about Strong Acid
What is the difference between a strong acid and a concentrated acid?
Strong describes how completely the acid dissociates into ions in solution: a strong acid dissociates completely, a weak acid only partially. Concentrated describes how much acid is dissolved per unit volume. The two are independent, so a dilute strong acid and a concentrated weak acid can both exist — hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric are the strong acids on this syllabus, and ethanoic acid is weak.