if a solution contain NaOH and K2CO3

and carboxylic acid like s-phenylalanine, the carboxylic acid will react K2Co3 to produce carboxylate salt why the carboxylic acid don't react with NaOH ? please help me
thank you

Carboxylic acids DO react with NaOH as well as with K2CO3.

The reaction between carboxylic acids and bases, such as NaOH (sodium hydroxide) or K2CO3 (potassium carbonate), involves the formation of a carboxylate salt and water. In this case, if s-phenylalanine, which is a carboxylic acid, is present along with NaOH and K2CO3, it will react with K2CO3 to form a carboxylate salt.

The reason why the carboxylic acid does not typically react with NaOH in this scenario is because K2CO3 is a stronger base compared to NaOH. The reactivity of a carboxylic acid with a base mainly depends on the strength of the base.

K2CO3 contains the hydroxide ion (OH-) as well, just like NaOH. However, it also contains the carbonate ion (CO32-) which is capable of deprotonating the carboxylic acid and forming the carboxylate salt. The carbonate ion, being a polyatomic ion, has a greater affinity for protons compared to the hydroxide ion alone, making K2CO3 a stronger base.

On the other hand, NaOH only contains the hydroxide ion, which is still capable of reacting with carboxylic acids but to a lesser extent due to its relatively lower strength as a base compared to K2CO3.

To summarize, the carboxylic acid does not react with NaOH to form a carboxylate salt because NaOH is a weaker base compared to K2CO3, which has the additional carbonate ion that enhances its reactivity with carboxylic acids.