What is Carboxylic Acid Formula?
The general molecular formula for carboxylic acid is CnH2n+1COOH. Carboxylic acids are nothing but organic compounds in which the carbon atom is bonded with an oxygen atom in the form of a double bond.
The carbon atom can also be bonded to a hydroxyl group (−OH) by a single bond. There is also a fourth bond that exists and it links the carbon atom to a hydrogen atom or to some other univalent combining group. Carboxylic acid generally consists of on carboxyl group. Carboxylic acids with two or more carboxyl groups attached are called dicarboxylic acids, tricarboxylic acids, etc.
Carboxylic Acids List
While we have already discussed the properties of carboxylic acid and other aspects like the nomenclature in our previous article, here, we will look at some of the important formulas of some of the common carboxylic acids. You can check out the list below.
| Name | Formula | Number of Carbon Atoms |
| Methanoic acid | HCOOH | 1 |
| Ethanoic acid | CH3COOH | 2 |
| Propanoic acid | CH3CH2COOH | 3 |
| Butanoic acid | CH3(CH2)2COOH | 4 |
| Pentanoic acid | CH3(CH2)3COOH | 5 |
| Hexanoic acid | CH3(CH2)4COOH | 6 |
| Heptanoic acid | CH3(CH2)5COOH | 7 |
| Octanoic acid | CH3(CH2)6COOH | 8 |
| Nonanoic acid | CH3(CH2)7COOH | 9 |
| Decanoic acid | CH3(CH2)8COOH | 10 |
| Dodecanoic acid | CH3(CH2)10COOH | 12 |
| Tetradecanoic acid | CH3(CH2)12COOH | 14 |
| Hexadecanoic acid | CH3(CH2)14COOH | 16 |
| Octadecanoic acid | CH3(CH2)16COOH | 18 |
| Icosanoic acid | CH3(CH2)18COOH | 20 |
Recommended Videos
For detailed discussion on the acidity of carboxylic acids and other chemistry concepts, you can keep visiting BYJU’s for a comprehensive learning experience.
Related Links
| Carboxylic Acid and it Uses | Carboxyl Group |
