C10.4 - Carboxylic acids and esters

• Carboxylic acids react like other acids. They react with metal carbonates to form salt, water and carbon dioxide. The salts formed in these reactions end in -anoate, e.g. ethanoate from ethanoic acid. ethanoic acid + sodium carbonate → sodium ethanoate + water + carbon dioxide
• Carboxylic acids can dissolve in water. When they dissolve, they ionise and release H+ ions resulting in an acidic solution. But, beacuse they do not ionise completely, they just form weak acid solutions. This means they have a higher pH than aqueous solutions of strong acids with the same concentration.
• Esters are formed from an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. An acid catalyst is usually used (e.g. concentrated sulfuric acid).alcohol + carboxylic acid  →(acid catalyst) ester + water