What is Strong Acids and their List - Definition, Examples with FAQs

Before going to discuss strong acids first we need to know what is strong acids and strong bases.

Strong Acids and Strong Bases

Strong acids are those acids that dissociate or break down completely in their ions. Strong acid examples are HCl, HBr, etc. Strong bases are also bases that dissociate or break down completely in their ions in solution. Example NaOH, KOH, etc.

What is a Strong acid?

Strong acid definition: Strong acids are those compounds that can be completely dissociated into their constituent ions, that is their conjugate base and a proton when they are dissolved in water. The seven most common examples of strong acids are;

• Hydrochloric acid (represented by using the chemical formula HCl)

• Hydrobromic acid (represented by using the chemical formula HBr)

• Hydroiodic acid or hydriodic acid (represented by using the chemical formula HI)

• Sulfuric acid (represented by using the chemical formula H2SO₄)

• Nitric acid (represented by using the chemical formula HNO₃)

• Chloric acid (represented by using chemical formula HClO₃)

• Perchloric acid (given by the chemical formula HClO₄)

Also read -

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Chemistry
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Acid strength is defined as the property of an acid that is represented as HA breaks down to form the H⁺ ions. That is,

HA→H⁺+A^-

A strong acid like HCl breaks down completely as shown below,

HCl→H⁺+Cl^-

While a weak acid will be dissociated only partially and thereby exist in an equilibrium state.

List of strong acids

Strong acids examples are following. And strong acid names are given below.

1. Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)

Hydrochloric acid, HCl (strong acid) could be a water solution of hydrogen chloride gas. It is also known as muriatic acid with the chemical formula HCl. HCl is a type of inorganic acid, colorless with a pungent smell. It has also been given the name corrosive acid due to its high acidity. HCl is mainly used in steel production, as a household cleaner, food production, and processing, etc. HCl dissociates to form a chloride ion and the hydronium ion. It is the main component of the gastric acid that is present in the digestive tracts of almost all animal species and it helps in the digestion of foods.

2. Hydrobromic Acid (HBr)

Hydrobromic acid (strong acid) is a solid acid formed by the reaction of hydrogen bromide with water. Hydrobromic acid is a stronger acid than hydrochloric acid because of its high pKa value. It is the strongest mineral acid. It is mainly used for the production of certain inorganic bromides, like calcium, zinc, and sodium. It acts as a catalyst in several alkylation reactions.

3. Hydroiodic Acid (HI)

Hydroiodic acid (strong acid) is a solution of hydrogen iodide and water. It is a strong acid and dissociates completely to form iodides and hydrogen ions. It is a colorless acid with an acrid odor. HI is used as a chemical reagent, Cativa process is the one among them and it acts as a cocatalyst in this process. HI can also act as a reducing agent in many reactions.

4. Sulphuric Acid (H₂SO₄)

Sulphuric acid (strong acid) is a mineral acid containing oxygen, sulfur, and hydrogen with a molecular formula H₂SO₄. It is a colorless, odorless liquid with high viscosity. The main property of sulphuric acid is it is soluble in water and is highly reactive with water vapor so it is known to be hygroscopic. It is corrosive and highly dehydrating in nature. Due to high acidity while using sulphuric should be very careful even at low concentration it will cause serious damage to the outer skin and internal portion. It is mainly used for the production of detergents, dyes, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, etc.

5. Nitric Acid (HNO₃)

Nitric acid (strong acid) is acid-containing nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen with a chemical formula HNO₃. It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. Due to its high oxidizing nature, it is widely used in nitration reactions which involve the addition of a nitro group to a given chemical compound mainly organic compound like benzene. It will be colorless when prepared freshly turns yellow color while getting older. It is known to have an extremely suffocating, acrid odor. Nitric acid is mainly used for the production of fertilizers, explosives, nylon precursors, etc.

6. Perchloric Acid (HClO₄)

Perchloric acid (strong acid) is acid-containing hydrogen, chlorine, and oxygen with a chemical formula HClO₄. It is a water-based colorless solution. Its acidic strength is high and perchloric acid is a stronger acid than sulphuric acid and nitric acid. It is corrosive and is highly explosive compounds are formed. It is high oxidizing so it should be handled carefully in reactions involving the participation of oxygen. It is mainly used for the production of ammonium perchlorates. Another important use of perchloric acid is, it can be used as an eluent in the ion-exchange chromatography process and also used in the electropolishing process.

Also Read:

• NCERT solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 12 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids
• NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Chemistry Solutions Chapter 12 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids
• NCERT notes Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 12 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

7. Chloric Acid (HClO₃)

Chloric acid (strong acid) is a mineral acid containing hydrogen, chlorine, and oxygen with a chemical formula HClO₃. It is an oxoacid of chlorine with highly acidic. It is highly oxidizing in nature also. Above a particular concentration, it will dissociate to form different products. As it readily undergoes disproportionation, it is thermodynamically unstable also. It is used as a catalyst to make other chemical species. It is a highly corrosive acid for metals and tissues. One should be very careful while handling acids.

Strong Bases

Strong bases are also bases that dissociate or break down completely in their ions in solution. Example NaOH, KOH, etc.

A strong acid like KOH breaks down completely as shown below,

KOH→K⁺+OH^-

While a weak base will be dissociated only partially and thereby exist in an equilibrium state.

Also check-

• NCERT Exemplar Class 11th Chemistry Solutions
• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Chemistry Solutions
• NCERT Exemplar Solutions for All Subjects

NCERT Chemistry Notes:

• NCERT Notes Class 11th Chemistry
• NCERT Notes Class 12th Chemistry
• NCERT Notes For All Subjects