Two Rules, and You Must Pick the Right One

You'll learnwhich structural rule to reach for — bond strength or oxygen count — and why a strong acid always leaves a weak base.

HF is built on the most electronegative element there is, and it is the only weak acid among the hydrogen halides. Getting that right needs two different rules, and knowing which one to use. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · BINARY → BOND STRENGTH · OXYACID → OXYGENS · K_aK_b = K_w · v2

two structural rules · and the proton tells you which one

Before you start

What you're looking at

Four hydrogen halides ranked by bond energy, then four chlorine oxyacids ranked by oxygen count.

The question

Why is HF, the most polar of the four, the only weak one?

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