Carboxylic Acids

Acids
LOs:
To be able to explain the water solubility of carboxylic acids
To be able to describe reactions with metals, carbonates and
bases
Starter:
1) What is the difference between an electrophile and a
nucleophile?
2) What are the reagents and conditions to turn an
alcohol into a carboxylic acid?
a) What type of alcohol does this need to be?
3) Write a method to distinguish between a primary
alcohol and an aldehyde.
Answers:
Starter:
1) What is the difference between an electrophile and a nucleophile?
2) What are the reagents and conditions to turn an alcohol into a carboxylic acid?
a) What type of alcohol does this need to be?
3) Write a method to distinguish between a primary alcohol and an aldehyde.
Answers:
1. Electrophile is an electron pair acceptor. Nucleophile is an electron pair donor.
2. Acidified potassium dichromate. (K2Cr2O7/H2SO4) under reflux.
3. 1) Add 2,4-DNP and an orange precipitate is formed. 2) Purify this precipitate
using recrystallization. 3) Measure the melting point and compare to previous
data to identify the compound. Positive test will be for aldehyde. OR add tollens
reagent. If aldehyde, a silver mirror will form.
Carboxylic Acids
• They take the highest priority in
IUPAC
• Named –oic acid
• e.g. ethanoic acid
• Often have a bitter taste

Carboxylic acids are common naturally occurring
compounds
Carboxylic Acid’s solubility (in polar solvents)
decreases as the carbon chain length gets longer.
Think, Pair, Share:
Which of these compounds will be

most soluble in water?
Why do you think this trend is the

case?
Check if you are right! Add notes from the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
1VR3hgogxGY
Describe and Explain the
trend in solubility of
carboxylic acids in water (4
marks)
Describe and Explain the trend in solubility of
carboxylic acids in water
• As the carbon chains get longer, solubility decreases.
• COOH is hydrophilic so forms hydrogen bonds with water.
• Alkyl chain is hydrophobic so cannot form hydrogen bonds with water, forms
London forces with itself.
• As chain length increases, a higher proportion of the molecule is hydrophobic so

overall it would prefer to make London forces with itself than hydrogen bonds
with water.
They are weak acids and partially dissociate in water
Write down the equation for the dissociation of

CH3COOH: (3 mins)
Ext: using water as the base, draw the mechanism.
CH3COOH + H2O CH3COO- + H3O+

Reactions of
Carboxylic Acids
Carboxylic Acids react with metals:
• What does Acid + Metal form?
• Salt + Hydrogen!!
• E.g.
• Sodium + ethanoic acid  sodium ethanoate + hydrogen
• Task) Try and write the balanced symbol equation for this
reaction.
Carboxylic Acids react with metal oxides:
• E.g.
• Magnesium Oxide + methanoic acid  Magnesium methanoate + Water

• MgO (s) + 2HCOOH (aq) (HCOO)2Mg (aq) +
H2O(l)
• Draw the displayed formula for each reagent and product.

Carboxylic Acids react with metal hydroxides:
• What kind of reaction is this? What are the products?
• Neutralisation!! (Acid – Base)
• Task) See if you can come up with an example from the bases you know
• Potassium Hydroxide + Propanoic acid  potassium propanoate + water

• KOH(aq) + CH3CH2COOH(l)  CH3CH2COOK(aq)
+ H2O(l)
Carboxylic Acids react with metal carbonates:
• Acid + Carbonate  Salt + Water + X
• From this information, write the equation for the reaction of methanoic
acid with calcium carbonate and identify X.
• Methanoic Acid + Calcium Carbonate  Calcium Methanoate + water + Carbon Dioxide.
• 2HCOOH(aq) + CaCO3 (s)  (HCOO)2Ca(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2 (g)

Questions:
1) Write the symbol equation for the reaction of ethanoic acid with:
a) Lithium
b) Strontium Carbonate
c) Potassium Oxide
d) Calcium Hydroxide
e) Francium
f) Radium Oxide
2) When citric acid is mixed with sodium bicarbonate it forms sherbet. When
water is added (or saliva) it froths.
a) Explain why it froths
b) Explain why it doesn’t react until water is added.
Answers
1) Write the symbol equations for the following:
a) 2CH3COOH + 2Li  2CH3COOLi + H2
b) 2CH3COOH + SrCO3  (CH3COO)2Sr + CO2 +H2O
c) 2CH3COOH + K2O  2CH3COOK + H2O
d) 2CH3COOH + Ca(OH)2  (CH3COO)2Ca + 2H2O
e) 2CH3COOH + 2Fr  2CH3COOFr + H2
f) 2CH3COOH + RaO  (CH3COO)2Ra + H2O
2) It froths because NaHCO3 reacting with acid forms CO2. It needs to have
water/saliva added in order to dissolve the acid so it will dissociate and
donate the H+ ions.
Plenary:
Link the words: Carboxylic Acid, dissociates, and metal hydroxides together in a
paragraph. It must not be over 30 words long.
Ext: Correct the following sentences:
1) Carboxylic Acids are non polar molecules and therefore do not dissolve in
water.
2) They react with non metals with ease but are unreactive with metals.
3) Reacting with NaOH they form a salt.
4) Carboxylic Acids are strong acids.
Plenary:
Write 3 questions that you know the answer to.
Can be on anything within the carbonyls topic.
Best question gets a praise email.
Monarch of the hill!

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Acids

• Named –oic acid

• e.g. ethanoic acid

• Often have a bitter taste

Think, Pair, Share:

Which of these compounds will be

Why do you think this trend is the

• COOH is hydrophilic so forms hydrogen bonds with water.

• As chain length increases, a higher proportion of the molecule is hydrophobic so

Write down the equation for the dissociation of

CH3COOH + H2O CH3COO- + H3O+

• Sodium + ethanoic acid  sodium ethanoate + hydrogen

• Magnesium Oxide + methanoic acid  Magnesium methanoate + Water

• Draw the displayed formula for each reagent and product.

• Neutralisation!! (Acid – Base)

• Potassium Hydroxide + Propanoic acid  potassium propanoate + water

• Methanoic Acid + Calcium Carbonate  Calcium Methanoate + water + Carbon Dioxide.

• 2HCOOH(aq) + CaCO3 (s)  (HCOO)2Ca(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2 (g)

Ext: Correct the following sentences:

Can be on anything within the carbonyls topic.

Best question gets a praise email.

Monarch of the hill!

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