carboxylic acids and derivatives (3.3.9)

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Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

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Front (Question)

what is the structure of a carboxylic acid?

Back (Answer)

RCOOH

Front (Question)

what is the structure of an ester?

Back (Answer)

RCOOR (double bond between C and one O)

Front (Question)

what do carboxylic acids do despite being weak acids?

Back (Answer)

liberate CO2 from carbonates

Front (Question)

what is produced and observed when a carboxylic acid reacts with a carbonate?

Back (Answer)

• a salt eg. sodium ethanoate, carbon dioxide and water • effervescence is observed

Front (Question)

how are esters formed?

Back (Answer)

when a carboxylic acid and an alcohol react in the prescence of an acid catalyst

Front (Question)

how can you identify when an ester has been formed?

Back (Answer)

there will be a sweet-smelling liquid

Front (Question)

how are esters named?

Back (Answer)

• the first part comes from the na,e of the alcohol eg. methyl, ethyl, propyl • the second part comes from the name of the carboxylic acid eg. ethanoate, methanoate, propanoate

Front (Question)

what would the name of the ester which is produced from butan-1-ol and hexanoic acid be?

Back (Answer)

butyl hexanoate

Front (Question)

how do carboxylic acids and alcohols react to form an ester?

Back (Answer)

• the carboxylic acid functional group loses OH and the alcohol functional group loses H (forms water) • the remaining atoms join to form the ester

#10

Front (Question)

how can esters be hydrolysed?

Back (Answer)

by reacting them with sodium hydroxide

#11

Front (Question)

what happens when esters are hydrolysed in acidic conditions?

Back (Answer)

the carboxylic acid and the alcohol are formed

#12

Front (Question)

what happens when esters are hydrolysed in alkaline conditions?

Back (Answer)

an alcohol and the salt of the carboxylic acid are formed

#13

Front (Question)

what happens when amides are hydrolysed in acidic conditions?

Back (Answer)

the carboxylic acid and ammonium salt are formed

#14

Front (Question)

what happens when amides are hydrolysed in alkaline conditions?

Back (Answer)

the salt of the carboxylic acid and ammonia are produced

#15

Front (Question)

what is the equation for the reaction of ethyl propanoate and sodium hydroxide?

Back (Answer)

CH3CH2COOCH2CH3 + NaOH -> CH3CH2COONa + CH3CH2OH

#16

Front (Question)

what are common uses of esters?

Back (Answer)

solvents, plasticisers, perfumes and food flavourings

#17

Front (Question)

what are vegetable oils and animal fats?

Back (Answer)

esters of propane-1,2,3-triol (glycerol) and 3 carboxylic acids

#18

Front (Question)

how can soap be made and what is produced in the reaction?

Back (Answer)

• by hydrolysing vegetable oils and animal fats in alkaline conditions (heating with concentrated NaOH under reflux) • soap is produced and made up of the salts of long-chain carboxylic acids and glycerol

#19

Front (Question)

what safety consideration could be made when heating something with an alcohol?

Back (Answer)

use a water bath for heating as it prevents the risk of fire (alcohols are flammable)

#20

Front (Question)

what is biodiesel?

Back (Answer)

a mixture of methyl esters of long-chain carboxylic acids

#21

Front (Question)

how is biodiesel produced?

Back (Answer)

by reacting vegetable oils with methanol in the prescence of a catalyst

#22

Front (Question)

what is the structure and an example of an acyl chloride?

Back (Answer)

• RC=OCl • eg. ethanoyl chloride

#23

Front (Question)

what is the structure and an example of a primary amine?

Back (Answer)

• RNH2 • eg. propan-1-amine

#24

Front (Question)

what is the structure and an example of an amide?

Back (Answer)

• RC=ONH2 • eg. ethanamide