11X1's Reactions of Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids by Dr Last

What happens when carboxylic acids react with carbonates?

2013-03-21 11:46:28 UTC

It forms a carboxylate salt, water and carbon dioxide. The solution produced is colourless and the carboxylate has been neutralised.

For example:

ethanoic acid + sodium carbonate ----> sodium ethanoate + carbon dioxide + water.

2CH₃CO₂H_(aq) + Na₂CO₃_(s) ----> 2CH₃CO₂Na_(aq) + CO₂_(g) + H₂O_(l)

http://www.gcsescience.com/o48.htm

How can alcohols be converted into acids?

2013-03-21 11:49:41 UTC

When alcohols are burned they form carbon dioxide and water. However, if alcohols are mildly oxidised, they form carboxylic acids. This can be done with mild oxidising agents, which are chemicals that will gently oxidise another substance.

Alcohols are also oxidised to carboxylic acids by oxygen in air in the presence of microbes. Ethanol, for example, is oxidised to ethanoic acid. If a bottle of wine is left to stand in air, the microbes oxidise the ethanol in the wine to ethanoic acid. This gives the wine a sour taste; it goes off.

What happens when alcohols and acids react with sodium?

2013-03-21 11:56:38 UTC

when sodium reacts with alcohol sodium ethoxide and hydrogen is produced

they react so vigorously that we can't do it in the lab

the acid reacts more vigorously because there are more H+ ions to react than in the alcohol

2C₂H₅OH + 2Na -------> 2C₂H₅ONa + H₂

Combustion of alcohols equations:

2013-03-21 11:58:21 UTC

Methanol:

2CH3OH + 3O₂ --> 2CO₂ + 4H₂O

Ethanol:

CH₃CH₂OH + 3O₂ --> 2CO₂ + 3H₂O

Propanol:

CH₃CH₂CH₂OH + 4.5O₂ --> 3CO₂ + 4H₂O

lastd — 2013-03-21 12:00:59 UTC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGaWwnMyKVE

lastd — 2013-03-27 16:42:21 UTC