Home
Class 12
CHEMISTRY
Why are the boiling points of carboxylic...

Why are the boiling points of carboxylic acids higher than the corresponding alcohols ?

Text Solution

Verified by Experts

The higher points of carboxylic acids are due to greater hydrogen bonding in acids. The two molecles of carboxylic acids are held together by two hydrogen bonds and thus exist as a dimer.

Furthermore, hydrogen bonding in carboxylic acid is stronger than alcohols. It is due to the following two fectors.
(a) The O-H bond of the carboxylic acids are more strongly polaried due to adjacent electron attracting `gt C = O` group.
(b) The oxygen atom of the `gt C = O` group in carboxylic acid is more negative as compared to the oxygen atom of the alcohol. It is due to resonance.
Promotional Banner

Topper's Solved these Questions

  • ORGANIC COMPOUND WITH FUNCTIONAL GROUP CONTANING OXYGEN-II

    BETTER CHOICE PUBLICATION|Exercise Question Bank (12.8 Chemical Reaction)|49 Videos

  • ORGANIC COMPOUND WITH FUNCTIONAL GROUP CONTANING OXYGEN-II

    BETTER CHOICE PUBLICATION|Exercise Question Bank (12.9 Uses of Carboxylic Acids)|4 Videos

  • ORGANIC COMPOUND WITH FUNCTIONAL GROUP CONTANING OXYGEN-II

    BETTER CHOICE PUBLICATION|Exercise Question Bank (12.6 Nomenclature And Structure of Carboxylic Group)|8 Videos

  • HALOALKANES AND HALOARENES

    BETTER CHOICE PUBLICATION|Exercise QUESTIONS|158 Videos

  • POLYMERS

    BETTER CHOICE PUBLICATION|Exercise QUESTIONS |42 Videos

Similar Questions

Explore conceptually related problems

The boiling points of aldehydes and ketones are lower than that of corresponding acids and alcohols. Give reason.

Why boiling point of alkyl cyanide are higher than those of isomeric isocyanides ?

Aldehydes have lower boiling points than the corresponding alcohols. Explain.

Why are bond length of C = O in carboxylic acid is slightly larger than that in aldehyde and ketone ?