Difference between aldehydes and carboxylic acids?
Difference between aldehydes and carboxylic acids?
I understand where you're coming from. They do share similarities. However, they are not similar.
You must be confused because both the carboxylic acid and aldehyde contain the carbonyl stretch (C=O) group. More so, they are both terminal functional groups.
But the key here is to understand that the aldehyde is a functional group with the carbon linked to the oxygen through a double bond (C=O) and that same carbon is connected to a hydrogen atom (C-H) and the rest of the chain, R (R-C).
To understand the properties of the carboxylic acid, you'll need to see the functional group as a whole and not just the carbonyl (C=O) stretch. The carboxylic acid is the entire -COOH group and that same carbon is liked to the rest of the chain, R and so R-COOH.
To sum up you can identify the aldehyde from this general formula R-CHO and the carboxylic acid from this general formula R-COOH, in which R is the rest of the chain or the alkyl/ aryl side chain.
I understand where you're coming from. They do share similarities. However, they are not similar.
You must be confused because both the carboxylic acid and aldehyde contain the carbonyl stretch (C=O) group. More so, they are both terminal functional groups.
But the key here is to understand that the aldehyde is a functional group with the carbon linked to the oxygen through a double bond (C=O) and that same carbon is connected to a hydrogen atom (C-H) and the rest of the chain, R (R-C).
To understand the properties of the carboxylic acid, you'll need to see the functional group as a whole and not just the carbonyl (C=O) stretch. The carboxylic acid is the entire -COOH group and that same carbon is liked to the rest of the chain, R and so R-COOH.
To sum up you can identify the aldehyde from this general formula R-CHO and the carboxylic acid from this general formula R-COOH, in which R is the rest of the chain or the alkyl/ aryl side chain.
