Carboxylic Acid

Key Stage 4

Meaning

Carboxylic Acids are organic compounds with a Carbon atom which has a double bonds to an Oxygen atom and a single bond to an OH group. The general formula is C_nH_2nO₂.

About Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic Acids are a homologous series of organic compounds.

The functional group of the Carboxylic Acids is the double bond between a Carbon atom and an Oxygen atom and the single bond to an OH group.

Carboxylic Acids are long chains of Carbon atoms covalently bonded together with the the final Carbon atom in the chain as a COOH group.

Examples

	Methanoic Acid References AQA Carboxylic acids, page 183, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA Carboxylic acids, page 82, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA Carboxylic acids, pages 161, 163-165, 170-171, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA Carboxylic acids, pages 242, 243, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA Carboxylic acids; production from alcohols, page 182, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA Carboxylic acids; properties and reactions of, page 184, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA	Ethanoic Acid	Propanoic Acid	Butanoic Acid
Chemical Formula	CH2O2	C2H4O2	C3H6O2	C4H8O2
Structural Formula	HCOOH	CH3COOH	CH3CH2COOH	CH3CH2CH2COOH
Structural Diagram
Ball and Stick Model

Reactions of Carboxylic Acids

Neutralisation

Carboxylic Acids can be neutralised to produce organic salts.

Methanoic Acid + Potassium → Potassium Methanoate + Hydrogen

\(2HCOOH + 2K → 2HCOOK + H_2\)

Ethanoic Acid + Magnesium Oxide → Magnesium Ethanoate + Water

\(2CH_3COOH + MgO → (CH3COO)_2Mg + H_2O\)

Propanoic Acid + Sodium Hydroxide → Sodium Propanoate + Water

\(C_2H_5COOH + NaOH → C_2H_5COONa + H_2O\)

Butanoic Acid + Magnesium Carbonate → Magnesium Butanoate + Water + Carbon Dioxide

\(2C_3H_7COOH + MgCO_3 → (C_3H_7COO)_2Mg + H_2O + CO_2\)

Esterification

Carboxylic Acids may react with alcohols to produce compounds known as esters which have the functional group -COO-.

Methanoic Acid + Ethanol → Ethyl Methanoate + Water

\(HCOOH + C2_H_5OH → HCOOC_2H_5 + H_2O\)

Ethanoic Acid + Ethanol → Ethyl Ethanoate + Water

\(CH_3COOH + C_2H_5OH → CH_3COOC_2H_5 + H_2O\)

Propanoic Acid + Propanol → Propyl Propanoate + Water

\(C_3H_5COOH + C_3H_7OH → C_2H_5COOC_3H_7 + H_2O\)

Butanoic Acid + Propanol → Propyl Butanoate + Water

\(C_3H_5COOH + C_3H_7OH → C_3H_5COOC_3H_7 + H_2O\)

References

AQA

Carboxylic acids, page 183, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA

Carboxylic acids, page 82, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA

Carboxylic acids, pages 161, 163-165, 170-171, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA

Carboxylic acids, pages 242, 243, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA

Carboxylic acids; production from alcohols, page 182, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA

Carboxylic acids; properties and reactions of, page 184, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA

Edexcel

Carboxylic acids, pages 100, 102, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel

Carboxylic acids, pages 182-183, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel

Carboxylic acids, pages 305, 306, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel

OCR

Carboxylic acids, pages 236-237, Gateway GCSE Chemistry, Oxford, OCR

Carboxylic acids, pages 89, 91, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR Gateway