Textbook 6C.19

[Daryl Gall 1E]

For the textbook question 6C. 19 I'm having trouble understanding the answers for e and f: e states that HNO3 is a stronger acid than HNO2 and f states that H2CO3 is stronger than H2GeO3, and I'm not sure why. If someone could explain the reasoning to me, I'd appreciate it!

[Jonathan Sautter 1J]

Its because acidic molecules with more oxygen atoms are more acidic than other molecules because the increased number of oxygen atoms allow for the negative charge created by the loss of an H+ ion to be more stabilized or spread out (electrons are more delocalized) and thus the conjugate base is less effective at attracting the H+ ion making the forward reaction of acid to conjugate base favored. In f) the stronger acid is the one that has the central atom with a greater electronegativity because this means it has a greater electron withdrawing power and (the carbon atom) can pull electrons from oxygen more than the Ge atom. This weakens the O-H bond as the electrons don't associate as much with H atom anymore and thus the bond is broken more easily, leading to the acid being stronger.