Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Chemistry

Chapter

Organic: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Question:

The acid strength of saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids depends mainly upon the inductive effect of the substituent and its position w.r.t. the -COOH group. Where as electron donating substituents tend to increase the acid strength. The acidic strength of aromatic carboxylic acids, on the other hand, depends upon both the inductive and the resonance effect of the substituents.

The pKa of aspirin is 3.5. The pH of gastric juice in human stomach is about 2-3 and pH in the small intestine is about 8. Aspirin will be:

Options:

Unionized in the small intestine and in the stomach.

Completely ionized in the stomach and almost unionized in the small intestine. 

Ionized in the stomach and almost unionized in the small intestine. 

Ionized in the small intestine  and almost unionized in the stomach. 

Correct Answer:

Ionized in the small intestine  and almost unionized in the stomach. 

Explanation:

Since the pH in the small intestine is about 8 (basic), aspirin is completely ionized here and further since the pH in the stomach is 2-3 (highly acidic), therefore, aspirin which is a weak acid is completely unionized here.