Reactions of Carboxylic Acids
Part of Carboxylic Acids · GCSE GCSE Chemistry revision
This deep dive covers Reactions of Carboxylic Acids within Carboxylic Acids for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Carboxylic Acids in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 22 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 6 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 6 of 15
Practice
22 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
⚗️ Reactions of Carboxylic Acids
1. Reaction with Metals
Ethanoic acid + Magnesium → Magnesium ethanoate + Hydrogen
2. Reaction with Metal Carbonates (Fizzy Test!)
React with carbonates to produce CO₂ — this is the test for carboxylic acids!
3. Neutralisation with Bases/Alkalis
Ethanoic acid + Sodium hydroxide → Sodium ethanoate + Water
4. Formation of Esters (Esterification — with Alcohols)
Ethanoic acid + Ethanol ⇌ Ethyl ethanoate (ester) + Water
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Carboxylic Acids. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Carboxylic Acids
What is the functional group present in all carboxylic acids?
Explain why carboxylic acids are described as weak acids.
Quick Recall Flashcards
22 questions on Carboxylic Acids — practise free
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