Carboxylic acids

• Carboxylic acids


  • organic compounds that contain carboxyl(-COOH) functional group
  • General formula CnH(2n+1)COOH
• Physical properties of carboxylic acids


  • Boiling point increases down homologous series, intermolecular forces of attraction increase as molecular size increases, more energy required to overcome intermolecular foa
  • Higher melting point and boiling point than alcohols and hydrocarbons with same number of carbon atoms
  • soluble in water
• Chemical properties of carboxylic acids


  • weak acids that ionise partially in water to form carboxylate ions and hydrogen ions
  • Metal ion forms salt with carboxylate ion to form carboxylic acid
  • react with reactive metals to form carboxylate salts and hydrogen gas (MASH)
  • react with metal carbonates to form carboxylate salts, water and carbon dioxide (AC SCW)
  • React with bases to form carboxylate salts and water (AA SW)
  • React with alcohols to form esters and water
• Formation of ethanoic acid


  • formed by heating mixture of ethanol and acidified potassium manganate (VII) which acts as the oxidising agent
  • Ethanoic acid can also be formed by reacting ethanol with oxygen, ethanol is slowly oxidised to ethanoic acid by bacteria present in air