Chemistry
Confusing a Strong Acid with a Concentrated Acid
Students call an acid strong just because its solution has a high molarity.
Quick check
Why students make it
The word strong sounds like it means a lot of acid is present. This hides the difference between how much acid is dissolved and how completely each acid molecule ionizes in water.
The rule done right
Acid strength means extent of ionization, measured by , not concentration. A strong acid essentially fully ionizes in water, while a concentrated acid simply has many moles of acid per liter.
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