| Themes > Science > Chemistry > Organic Chemistry > Families of Organic Compounds > Some Families of Organic Compounds > Carboxylic Acids |
Carboxylic acids are important members of the class of compounds in which an OH group is bonded to carbon. The feature that differentiates the carboxylic acids from the alcohols is that the carbon attached to the OH also has a doubly bonded oxygen. The resulting group is generally written as RC(=O)OH, where R is either a hydrogen or any organic group. Some examples of common organic acids include: Formic Acid. HCO2H. The simplest of the carboxylic acids, this is the acid that is responsible for the burn of a fire (or red) ant bite. Acetic Acid. CH3CO2H. Acetic acid is formed by the oxidation of ethanol and is responsible for the sour flavor of a spoiled bottle of wine. Vinegar is simply a dilute solution (about 5%) of acetic acid in water. Benzoic acid. C6H5CO2H. The C6H5 group is a benzene ring, so this compound simply has an acid group attached to a benzene ring. Benzoic acid is a common food preservative. |
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