The solubility of compounds containing the carboxylic acid group can be increased by reaction with
a) sulfuric acid
b) nitric acid
c) sodium hydroxide
d) water
e) benzoic acid
Would it be sodium hydroxide since it is a base?
Sulphuric acid
Sodium hydroxide
Yes, you are correct! The solubility of compounds containing the carboxylic acid group can be increased by reaction with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) since it is a strong base.
To understand why sodium hydroxide increases the solubility of carboxylic acid compounds, it is important to consider the acid-base reaction that takes place. When a carboxylic acid reacts with sodium hydroxide, a salt called a carboxylate salt is formed. This reaction is known as neutralization.
The general equation for the reaction between a carboxylic acid (represented by RCOOH) and sodium hydroxide is:
RCOOH + NaOH → RCOONa + H2O
In this reaction, the sodium hydroxide (a strong base) donates hydroxide ions (OH-) to the carboxylic acid (RCOOH). The hydroxide ions react with the acidic hydrogen (H+ from -COOH group) of the carboxylic acid, resulting in the formation of water (H2O) and a carboxylate salt (RCOONa).
The carboxylate salt formed (such as sodium benzoate in the case of benzoic acid) is more soluble in water compared to the original carboxylic acid. This is due to the fact that carboxylate salts are ionic compounds with charged ions, which tend to dissolve better in polar solvents like water. As a result, the solubility of the compound is increased when it is converted into a carboxylate salt.
Therefore, option c) sodium hydroxide is the correct answer in this case since it increases the solubility of carboxylic acid compounds by converting them into more soluble carboxylate salts through neutralization.