Chemistry – Organic chemistry - Carboxylic acids | e-Consult
Organic chemistry - Carboxylic acids (1 questions)
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Ethanoic acid reacts with metals, generally those higher in the reactivity series than hydrogen, to produce a salt and hydrogen gas. The general equation for the reaction is:
- CH3COOH(aq) + M(s) → CH3CO2M(aq) + H2(g)
Where M represents a metal. For example, with magnesium:
CH3COOH(aq) + Mg(s) → Mg(CH3COO)2(aq) + H2(g)
The salt produced is magnesium ethanoate (Mg(CH3COO)2). The reaction rate depends on the metal's position in the reactivity series. More reactive metals (e.g., sodium, potassium) will react more vigorously and rapidly with ethanoic acid than less reactive metals (e.g., copper, zinc). This is because the energy released during the reaction is greater with more reactive metals, leading to a faster rate of electron transfer.