Question

Hydrogen atom of chloroform is acidic in nature.

Hint:

The acidic nature of chloroform arises due to the electron-withdrawing inductive effect of chlorine, which weakens the C-H bond and facilitates proton release.

Answer 1

- Chloroform (CHCl\(_3\)) has three chlorine atoms attached to a central carbon, which makes the C-H bond in chloroform weak and more likely to be dissociated. When chloroform loses a proton (H\(^+\)), it forms a trichloromethyl anion (CCl\(_3^-\)). This hydrogen is acidic due to the inductive effect of the chlorine atoms. Chlorine is highly electronegative and pulls electron density away from the C-H bond, making the hydrogen more positive and easily removable. This is why chloroform exhibits acidic properties.