Alkynes
The acidity of alkynes compared to alkenes and alkanes is in the order:
Select the correct option:
Solution
Alkyne>Alkene>Alkane
Acidity of C–H bonds is determined by the s-character of the carbon orbital involved in the bond. Higher s-character means the electrons are held closer to the nucleus, stabilising the conjugate base (carbanion) and thus increasing acidity. sp carbons in alkynes have 50% s-character (most electronegative), sp² carbons in alkenes have 33% s-character, and sp³ carbons in alkanes have 25% s-character. Therefore the order of acidity is: Alkyne (pKa ≈ 25) > Alkene (pKa ≈ 44) > Alkane (pKa ≈ 50). Terminal alkynes (R–C≡C–H) are weakly acidic enough to react with strong bases like NaNH₂ to form acetylide ions.
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The acidity of alkynes is due to:
The acidity of alkynes is due to:
About This Question
- Subject
- chemistry
- Chapter
- hydrocarbons
- Topic
- alkynes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Alkyne>Alkene>Alkane
Acidity of C–H bonds is determined by the s-character of the carbon orbital involved in the bond. Higher s-character means the electrons are held closer to the nucleus, stabilising the conjugate base (carbanion) and thus increasing acidity. sp carbons in alkynes have 50% s-character (most electronegative), sp² carbons in alkenes have 33% s-character, and sp³ carbons in alkanes have 25% s-character. Therefore the order of acidity is: Alkyne (pKa ≈ 25) > Alkene (pKa ≈ 44) > Alkane (pKa ≈ 50). Terminal alkynes (R–C≡C–H) are weakly acidic enough to react with strong bases like NaNH₂ to form acetylide ions.
This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter hydrocarbons, covering the topic of alkynes. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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