Carboxylic acids are weaker than mineral acids but stronger than alcohols and many simple phenols. The pKₐ is approximately 16 for ethanol and 10 for phenol.
How do the acidity of carboxylic acids compare to mineral acids, alcohols, and many simple phenols, and what is the pKa value for ethanol and phenol?
Share
Carboxylic acids are generally weaker acids than mineral acids but stronger than alcohols and many simple phenols. The carboxylic acid functional group imparts higher acidity due to resonance stabilization in the conjugate base. For example, acetic acid (pKa ≈ 4.76) is stronger than ethanol (pKa ≈ 15.9) and phenol (pKa ≈ 9.95). Mineral acids, like hydrochloric acid, are stronger than carboxylic acids. The pKa value for ethanol is around 15.9, while phenol has a pKa of approximately 9.95, making it more acidic than alcohols but less acidic than carboxylic acids.