Question

Why does hydrogen chloride gas dissolved in water exhibit acidic properties while the gas dissolved in methyl benzene does not exhibit such properties?

Answer 1

Answer on Question #78609, Chemistry / Inorganic Chemistry

Question:

Why does hydrogen chloride gas dissolved in water exhibit acidic properties while the gas dissolved in methyl benzene does not exhibit such properties?

Answer:

Hydrogen chloride dissolved in water (or other polar solvents) dissociates as follows:

$$\mathrm{HCl} + \mathrm{H_2O} \leftrightarrows \mathrm{H_3O^+} + \mathrm{Cl^-}$$

Due to this it exhibits acidic properties.

On the other side, in non-polar solvents (like methyl benzene) dissociation is not observed. HCl does not exhibit acidic properties (but it still may form salts with strong bases such as amines, anilines etc.).

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