Chapter 20.4, Problem 3RQ

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation: The reason due to which it is more common for organic chemists to write the formula for acetic acid as ${\text{CH}}_{\text{3}}\text{COOH}$ instead of ${\text{HC}}_{\text{2}}{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}$ needs to be explained.

Concept introduction: Carboxylic acid: A hydrocarbon derivative containing the carboxyl group $-\text{COOH}$

Answer to Problem 3RQ

  ${\text{CH}}_{\text{3}}\text{COOH}$ instead of ${\text{HC}}_{\text{2}}{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}$ because it allows immediate recognition of the carboxylic acid.

Explanation of Solution

Carboxylic acids are characterized by the presence of the carboxylgroup, $-\text{COOH}$ , which has the structure

The general formula of a carboxylic acid is RCOOH, where R represents the hydrocarbon fragment. These molecules typically are weak acids in aqueous solution.carboxylic acids by dropping the final -e from the parent alkane (the longest chain containing the $-\text{COOH}$ group) and adding -oic. Carboxylic acids are frequently known by their common names. For example, C ${\text{CH}}_{\text{3}}\text{COOH}$ , often written ${\text{HC}}_{\text{2}}{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}$ and commonly called acetic acid, has the systematic name ethanoic acid because the parent alkane is ethane. Therefore, ${\text{CH}}_{\text{3}}\text{COOH}$ instead of ${\text{HC}}_{\text{2}}{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}$ because it allows immediate recognition of the carboxylic acid.

Conclusion

Carboxylic acids can be produced by oxidizing primary alcohols with astrong oxidizing agent.