17.3.1 - Carboxylic acids Flashcards
Why do carboxylic acids have high boiling points?
Hydrogen bonds form between molecules
Why does boiling point in carboxylic acids increase as chain length increases?
London forces increase due to more electrons.
What is formed when two short-chain carboxylic acids form hydrogen bonds between each other?
A dimer
How are shorter chain carboxylic acids soluble in water?
They are able to form hydrogen bonds with water.
What happens to the solubility of longer-chain carboxylic acids in water?
Solubility decreases as the hydrocarbon part of the molecule becomes larger.
How do we represent hydrogen bonds forming?
By using dashed lines.
Why don’t carboxylic acids fully dissociate in solution?
As they are weak acids
What happens to acidity as chain length of carboxylic acids increases?
Acidity decreases
When can a carboxylate ion be formed?
When a hydrogen ion is lost.
Why does acidity decrease as the chain length of carboxylic acids increases?
Alkyl groups push electrons towards carboxylate anion, producing a destabilizing affect.
Why is methanoic acid more acidic than ethanoic acid?
The methyl group in ethanoic acid pushes electrons towards the carboxyl group producing a destabalizing affect so less acidic
