This episode outlines the fundamental aspects of carboxylic acids.
We begin by listing and providing the chemical formulas for the four smallest carboxylic acids in order of increasing size: methanoic, ethanoic, propanoic, and butanoic acids.
We then describes typical chemical reactions that carboxylic acids undergo. These reactions include interactions with carbonates, resulting in a salt, carbon dioxide, and water, as well as their dissolution in water to form acidic solutions.
Finally, the text explains that carboxylic acids react with alcohols in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce esters and water, illustrated with the example of ethanoic acid and ethanol forming ethyl ethanoate and water.
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