Chapter 142 of 2363 min read
Carboxylic acids: acidity and reactions
Why this is asked: A carboxylic acid liberates CO₂ gas from NaHCO₃; phenol, despite also being acidic, doesn't, because phenol (pKa around 10) is weaker than carbonic acid while carboxylic acids are stronger — this is the standard test for telling the two functional groups apart experimentally. Electron-withdrawing substituents raise acidity most from the alpha position, fading fast with distance: chloroacetic acid is markedly more acidic than acetic acid, but the boost shrinks quickly as the Cl moves further away.
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