Which one of the following compounds is most acidic? You can answer this question by analyzing the chemical formula of the compound. Acidic properties are measured in terms of hydrogen ions. They are formed in a compound through the effects of electronegativity, inductive effect, and resonance. If the oxygen atoms in a substance are subject to equivalent resonance or dilation with other species, it is considered acidic.
The strength of the acid increases as the electronegativity of the central atom rises. In other words, the strongest acid is orthonitrophenol. This is because it has an electron-attracting group (-NO2) which stabilizes the oxygen atom’s negative charge. Ortho-nitrophenol is the most acidic among the four compounds. The other compound, cresol, has an electron-donating group and a destabilized phenoxide ion.
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