Answer to Question #57054 in Organic Chemistry for surajit das

Question

Is 2-chloropropanoic acid stronger than 3-chloropropanoic acid?

Answer 1

2-chloropropanoic acid is stronger than 3-chloropropanoic acid due to –I (inductive) effect of the chlorine atom. The acidity of carboxylic group is increased due to the shift of the electron density toward the electronegative chlorine atom. The closer is the electronegative atom to carboxylic group, the stronger the effect.