Find the correct order of acid strength of the following acids in aqueous solution

Options

A. `HClO_(4) gt H_(2)SO_(4) gt HCl gt HNO_(3)`
B. `HClO_(4) gt H_(2)SO_(4) gtHNO_(3)gt HCl`
C. `HClO_(4) = H_(2)SO_(4) =HCl = HNO_(3)`
D. `HClO_(4) gt HCl gt H_(2)SO_(4) gt HNO_(3)`

Answer

To determine the correct order of acid strength of the given acids in aqueous solution, we need to analyze the dissociation of each acid in water and their ability to produce hydronium ions (H3O+). Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Identify the Acids
The acids we are considering are:
1. HClO4 (Perchloric acid)
2. H2SO4 (Sulfuric acid)
3. HCl (Hydrochloric acid)
4. HNO3 (Nitric acid)

### Step 2: Understand Acid Dissociation
When strong acids are dissolved in water, they dissociate completely to produce H3O+ ions. The strength of an acid in aqueous solution is often determined by the amount of H3O+ it can produce.

### Step 3: Analyze Each Acid
- **HClO4**: Dissociates to produce H3O+ and ClO4−. It is a strong acid.
- **H2SO4**: Dissociates in two steps:
1. H2SO4 → H3O+ + HSO4− (first dissociation, strong)
2. HSO4− → H3O+ + SO4^2− (second dissociation, also strong)

This means H2SO4 can produce two H3O+ ions per molecule.

- **HCl**: Dissociates to produce H3O+ and Cl−. It is also a strong acid.
- **HNO3**: Dissociates to produce H3O+ and NO3−. It is a strong acid as well.

### Step 4: Compare Acid Strengths
All these acids are strong acids and dissociate completely in water. However, H2SO4 produces more H3O+ ions than the others due to its two-step dissociation. Therefore, we can rank them based on their ability to produce H3O+ ions.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Since HClO4, H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3 all dissociate completely in water, they can be considered to have similar strengths in terms of producing H3O+. However, since H2SO4 produces more H3O+ ions, it is generally considered stronger than the others.

The correct order of acid strength in aqueous solution is:
**HClO4 = H2SO4 = HCl = HNO3**

### Final Answer
The correct option is: **HClO4 = H2SO4 = HCl = HNO3**

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