The hydrogen atoms present in acetylene molecule are :
acidic
basic
both acidic and basic
neutral
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2015
Acetylene has the chemical formula C₂H₂ and a linear structure H-C≡C-H. The carbon atoms in acetylene are sp hybridized. sp hybridized orbitals have higher s-character (50%) compared to sp² (33.3%) or sp³ (25%) hybridized orbitals. Higher s-character means the electrons in the C-H bond are held more closely to the carbon nucleus due to the greater penetration of the s orbital. This makes the carbon atom more electronegative than sp² or sp³ hybridized carbons, and consequently, it pulls electron density away from the hydrogen atom. This makes the C-H bond weaker and the hydrogen slightly positive, allowing it to be removed as a proton (H⁺) by a strong base. Therefore, the hydrogen atoms in acetylene are acidic.
The acidity of terminal alkynes (like acetylene) is due to the high electronegativity of the sp-hybridized carbon atom to which the hydrogen is attached. This polarizes the C-H bond, making the proton relatively easy to remove.