Carboxylic acids

• Functional group for carboxylic acids

  -COOH
• How are carboxylic acids named

  Their names all end with anoic acid for example, ‘propanoic acid’
• First 4 carboxylic acids

  Methanoic acid

  Ethanoic acid

  Propanoic acid

  Butanoic acid
• Are carboxylic acids neutral, acidic of alkaline

  Acidic
• How do carboxylic acids react with water

  They dissolve in water but they don’t completely ionise (release H+ ions)

  They form weak acidic solution

  Have a high pH for an acid (5 or 6)
• How do carboxylic acids react with carbonates

  They form salts, water and carbon dioxide
• When carboxylic acids react with carbonates, how are the salts named?

  Their names all end with ’anoate’

  For example, ‘sodium ethanoate’
• What type of substance reacts with an alcohol to form a carboxylic acid

  An oxidising agent