Heating of `beta-`hydroxy acid gives lactones.

Answer

To solve the question regarding the heating of beta-hydroxy acids and their conversion to lactones, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Beta-Hydroxy Acids**:
- Beta-hydroxy acids are organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl group (-OH) on the beta carbon (the second carbon) relative to the carboxylic acid group (-COOH).

2. **Structure of Beta-Hydroxy Acid**:
- A typical structure of a beta-hydroxy acid can be represented as:
\[ \text{R-CH(OH)-CH}_2\text{-COOH} \]
- Here, R represents any hydrocarbon chain.

3. **Heating the Beta-Hydroxy Acid**:
- When beta-hydroxy acids are heated, they undergo dehydration (loss of water) to form alkenes. The reaction can be represented as:
\[ \text{R-CH(OH)-CH}_2\text{-COOH} \xrightarrow{\text{heat}} \text{R-CH=CH-COOH} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

4. **Formation of Alkenes**:
- The dehydration process results in the formation of an alkene, which retains the carboxylic acid group. The structure of the resulting alkene can be shown as:
\[ \text{R-CH=CH-COOH} \]

5. **Conclusion**:
- The statement that heating beta-hydroxy acids gives lactones is **false**. Instead, heating leads to the formation of alkenes through dehydration.

### Final Answer:
The statement "Heating of beta-hydroxy acid gives lactones" is **false**; heating results in the formation of alkenes.