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Carboxylic Acid

Carboxylic acids contain the carboxyl functional group (-COOH) and follow the general formula CnH2n+1COOH. They are weak acids with a pH of 3-5, can turn blue litmus paper red, and react with metals and carbonates to form salts and gases. The naming convention for these acids is based on the alkane name plus 'oic acid', and the salts formed end in '-anoate'.

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16 views2 pages

Carboxylic Acid

Carboxylic acids contain the carboxyl functional group (-COOH) and follow the general formula CnH2n+1COOH. They are weak acids with a pH of 3-5, can turn blue litmus paper red, and react with metals and carbonates to form salts and gases. The naming convention for these acids is based on the alkane name plus 'oic acid', and the salts formed end in '-anoate'.

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dissanayakesenitha
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Carboxylic Acids

 Carboxylic acid is the name given to compounds containing the functional


group carboxyl, -COOH

 The general formula of a carboxylic acid is CnH2n+1COOH which can be shortened


to just RCOOH

Diagram of the general structure of a carboxylic acid. The R- represents a varying


hydrocarbon chain

 The naming of a carboxylic acid follows the pattern alkan + oic acid.

 The names and structure of the first four carboxylic acids are shown below.

 Vinegar is an aqueous solution of ethanoic acid and contains about 5% of the


acid by volume.

Name Molecular formula Structural formula Displayed formula


methanoic acid

ethanoic acid

propanoic acid

butanoic acid
Properties of carboxylic acids

Weak acids with a pH of about 3-5

Turn blue litmus paper red.

React with all the things you expect acids to react with.

Reactions of carboxylic acids

 The carboxylic acids behave like other acids

 They react with:

1. metals to form a salt and hydrogen

2. carbonates to form a salt, water and carbon dioxide gas

 The salts formed by the reaction of carboxylic acids all end –anoate

 So methanoic acid forms a salt called methanoate, ethanoic a salt called


ethanoate etc.

Reactions of carboxylic acids

1.Reactions with metals

 In the reaction with metals, a metal salt and hydrogen gas are produced.

 The reaction of ethanoic acid with metals such as magnesium forms the salt
magnesium ethanoate and hydrogen gas:

2CH3COOH + Mg → (CH3COO)2Mg + H2

2. Reactions with carbonates

 In the reaction with carbonates a metal salt, water and carbon dioxide gas are
produced

 For example, in reaction with potassium carbonate the salt potassium butanoate
is formed by reaction with butanoic acid:

2CH3CH2CH2COOH + K2CO3 → 2CH3CH2CH2COOK + H2O + CO2

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