---
title: "Acidity: the pKa ladder Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/library-pka-ladder/
description: "Acidity: the pKa ladder template: From HCl (pKa ≈ −7) to ethane (≈ 50): acids, alcohols, carbonyls, alkynes and amines ranked by pKa. Preview it, then open…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
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# Acidity: the pKa ladder template

![Acidity: the pKa ladder template: From HCl (pKa ≈ −7) to ethane (≈ 50): acids, alcohols, carbonyls, alkynes and amines ranked by pKa.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/library-pka-ladder.webp)

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Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing).

From HCl (pKa ≈ −7) to ethane (≈ 50): acids, alcohols, carbonyls, alkynes and amines ranked by pKa.

## What the template shows

- Approximate pKa values in water (DMSO-derived for the weakest acids); lower pKa = stronger acid
- Strong and carboxylic acids
- pKa below 7
- Hydrochloric acid
- Trifluoroacetic acid
- Benzoic acid
- Acetic acid
- Carbonic acid
- Weak acids
- Very weak acids
- pKa above 20
- An acid–base equilibrium favours the side with the weaker acid (higher pKa).
- Stabilising the conjugate base (resonance, electronegativity, s character, inductive effects) lowers the pKa.

Drawn with 55 atoms, 12 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 8](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook
- [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook
- [Bordwell, Acc. Chem. Res. 1988, 21, 456 (Equilibrium acidities in dimethyl sulfoxide solution)](https://doi.org/10.1021/ar00156a004) Review

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Acidity: the pKa ladder template free?

You can preview the Acidity: the pKa ladder template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.

### Can I edit the Acidity: the pKa ladder template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### Which functional groups are included?

Alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, arenes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, amines, nitriles and more, each with an example.

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