carboxylic acid + alcohols Flashcards
what type of functional group is in a carboxylic acid?
carboxyl functional group (-COOH)
what is the general formula of a carboxlic acid?
CnH2n+1COOH
what is the structural formula of methanoic acid?
HCOOH
what is the structural formula of ethanoic acid?
CH3COOH
what is the structural formula of propanoic acid?
C2H5COOH/CH3CH2COOH
what is the structural formula of butanoic acid?
C3H7COOH / CH3CH2CH2COOH
why do the boiling points of carboxylic acids increase down the series?
as the molecules become larger and heavier, the molecular size of alkanes increases and the intermolecular forces of attraction between molecules increases -> more energy is required to overcome the intermolecular forces ofa ttraction between the molecules
what is the trend of carboxlic acids’ solubility in water?
as the length of the hydrocarbon chain increases, the solubility decreasees
what state of matter are the first four carboxylic acids?
liquids at room temperature
why are carboxylic acids weak acids?
they dissociate/ionise partially in water to produce hydrogen ions (RCOOH -><- RCOO- + H+)
how do carboxylic acids react with reactive metals?
carboxylic acids + reactive metal -> salt + hydrogen
how do carboxylic acids react with bases?
(neutralisation) carboxylic acid + base -> salt + water
how do carboxylic acids react with carbonates?
carboxylic acid + metal carbonate -> carbon dioxide + water + salt
what is the reaction that creates esters?
carboxylic acid + alcohol -> ester + water
what are the conditions that form esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols?
alcohol with concentrated sulfuric acid as catalyst + heat (under reflux)