Question

Describe a test for carboxylic acids.

Answer 1

Carboxylic acids react with sodium bicarbonate to form Sodium ethanoate and water along with carbon dioxide, which produces effervescence in the reaction mixture. This reaction is used as a test for the presence of carboxylic acids.

${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}+{\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\to {\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COONa}+{\mathrm{CO}}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$