Carboxylic acids Flashcards
What is the functional group of carboxylic acids?
-COOH.
What do their names end in?
Anoic acid.
What do their names start with?
- Meth.
- Eth.
- Prop.
What is the formula for methanoic acid?
HCOOH.
What is the formula for ethanoic acid?
CH3COOH
What is the formula for propanoic acid?
C2H5COOH.
How do carboxylic acids react with carbonates?
Just like any other acid with carbonates to produce carbon dioxide and water and an anoate salt.
What are the salts formed when carboxylic acids react with carbonates called?
They end in anoate (e.g. methanoic acid will form methanoate).
What do carboxylic acids do in water?
They dissolve in water to produce acidic solutions.
What happens when carboxylic acids dissolve in water?
They ionise and release H^+ ions which are responsible for making the solution acidic, but they don’t ionise completely (not many H^+ ions are released).
What does it mean when carboxylic acids don’t ionise completely in water?
They just form weak acidic solutions.
What does it men when carboxylic acids only form weak acidic solutions in water?
That they have a higher pH (less acidic) than aqueous solutions of strong acids with the same concentration.
What is the strength of an acid?
How well it has ionised in water.
What is the concentration of an acid?
How watered down your acid is.
What are some carboxylic acids?
Fairly common.
How can ethanoic acid be made?
By oxidising ethanol.
How can ethanol be oxidised to make ethanoic acid?
- Microbes, like yeast, cause the ethanol to ferment, and if you leave it open, it oxidises (why wine goes off).
- Using oxidising agents.
What can be done with ethanoic acid?
It can be dissolved in water to make vinegar.
What is vinegar used for?
Flavouring and preserving foods.
What is citric acid (another carboxylic acid) used to do?
- It is present in oranges and lemons, and is manufactured in large quantities to make fizzy drinks.
- It is also used to get rid of scale.
How are carboxylic acids used in industry?
- Carboxylic acids with longer chains of carbon atoms are used to make soap and detergents.
- Carboxylic acids are used in the preparation of esters.
- Ethanoic is a good solvent for many organic molecules, but it is not used as one as it will turn the solution acidic.
