See image — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1 - Identify the acids and their strengths. Formic acid (HCOOH) has pKa = 3.8 and HF has pKa = 3.2. A lower pKa means a stronger acid. Since 3.2 < 3.8, HF is the stronger Bronsted acid. This makes statement (B) true and statement (A) false. Step 2 - Identify conjugate bases and their strengths. The conjugate base of formic acid (HCOOH, pKa = 3.8) is formate (HCOO- / KO2CH). The conjugate base of HF (pKa = 3.2) is F- (KF). A stronger acid has a weaker conjugate base, and a weaker acid has a stronger conjugate base. Since HF is stronger, F- (KF) is the weaker conjugate base. Since formic acid is weaker, formate (KO2CH) is the stronger (more basic) conjugate base. Therefore statement (D) 'KO2CH is the strongest Bronsted base in the reaction' is true, and statement (C) is false. Step 3 - Determine equilibrium direction. In acid-base equilibria, the equilibrium favors the side with the weaker acid and weaker base. The reaction goes: KF + HCOOH ⇌ HCOOK + HF. The stronger acid (HF, pKa = 3.2) is on the product side. Equilibrium favors formation of the weaker acid, so it favors the reactant side (where the weaker acid HCOOH would be re-formed... wait, let me reconsider). The forward reaction converts HCOOH (weaker acid, pKa=3.8) and F- (weaker base) into HCOO- (stronger base) and HF (stronger acid). Equilibrium favors the side with the weaker acid and weaker base, which is the reactant side. Therefore statement (E) 'The equilibrium favours the reactants' is true and statement (F) is false. Keq = 10^(pKa_product_acid - pKa_reactant_acid) = 10^(3.2-3.8) = 10^(-0.6) < 1, confirming reactants are favored. Step 4 - Evaluate conjugate base weakness statements. Statement (H): HF has a weaker conjugate base. Since HF (pKa=3.2) is the stronger acid, its conjugate base F- is indeed weaker than formate. So (H) is true. Statement (G): Formic acid has a weaker conjugate base - this is false because formate is the stronger conjugate base. Step 5 - Match to answer choices. True statements: B, D, E, H → This matches option (d) B, D, E and H. Therefore, the correct answer is D.