Ethanoic acid with bases and carbonates
Salt and water, or salt, carbon dioxide and water.
Acid meets base
You know that a mineral acid reacts with a base. Ethanoic acid is a weak acid, but it is acidic too.
What do you expect when ethanoic acid meets sodium hydroxide, a base?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Like mineral acids, ethanoic acid reacts with a base to give a salt (sodium ethanoate, with sodium hydroxide) and water, and with carbonates and hydrogencarbonates to give a salt, carbon dioxide and water.
Acid meets base
You know that a mineral acid reacts with a base. Ethanoic acid is a weak acid, but it is acidic too.
What do you expect when ethanoic acid meets sodium hydroxide, a base?
- A salt and water
- Only a gas
- Nothing at all
Three reactions
Open every tab. A teacher does these in the lab.
Like a mineral acid
Ethanoic acid behaves like a mineral acid here: with a base it gives a salt and water, and with carbonates and hydrogencarbonates a salt, carbon dioxide and water.
Like mineral acids, ethanoic acid reacts with a base to give a salt (sodium ethanoate, with sodium hydroxide) and water, and with carbonates and hydrogencarbonates to give a salt, carbon dioxide and water.
- Ethanoic acid with | Products
- sodium hydroxide (a base) | sodium ethanoate + water
- a carbonate | a salt + carbon dioxide + water
- a hydrogencarbonate | a salt + carbon dioxide + water
Notes
Like mineral acids, ethanoic acid reacts with a base to give a salt and water, and with carbonates and hydrogencarbonates to give a salt, carbon dioxide and water.
Check yourself
What are formed when ethanoic acid reacts with sodium hydroxide?
Ethanoic acid reacts with sodium hydrogencarbonate. Which gas is released?
What is sodium ethanoate also called?
What do ethanoic acid and mineral acids have in common in these reactions?
- Sodium ethanoate and water — correct. Yes!
- Sodium ethanoate and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide forms with carbonates and hydrogencarbonates, not with sodium hydroxide.
- Sodium ethoxide and hydrogen. Sodium ethoxide and hydrogen form when ethanol reacts with sodium.
- Hydrogen. Hydrogen is released when an alcohol reacts with sodium.
- Carbon dioxide — correct. Yes!
- Oxygen. The gas released is carbon dioxide.
- Sodium ethoxide. Sodium ethoxide is the product of ethanol and sodium.
- Absolute alcohol. Absolute alcohol is pure ethanol.
- Sodium acetate — correct. Yes!
- Both react with a base to give a salt and water — correct. Yes!
- Both are completely ionised. Mineral acids like HCl are completely ionised, but carboxylic acids are weak acids.
- Both give hydrogen with sodium hydroxide. With a base, ethanoic acid gives a salt and water, not hydrogen.