What is the effect of a -I group on the acidity of carboxylic acids?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of a -I group on the acidity of carboxylic acids?
Increases acidity
Decreases acidity
No effect
Depends on the solvent
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of a -I group on the acidity of carboxylic acids?
Step 1: Understand what a carboxylic acid is. It is a type of organic compound that has a carboxyl group (-COOH).
Step 2: Know what a -I group is. A -I group is an electron-withdrawing group that pulls electrons away from the rest of the molecule.
Step 3: Recognize that when a carboxylic acid donates a proton (H+), it forms a conjugate base. This conjugate base has a negative charge.
Step 4: Understand that the stability of the conjugate base is important. If the conjugate base is more stable, the carboxylic acid is more likely to donate a proton, making it more acidic.
Step 5: Learn that a -I group stabilizes the negative charge on the conjugate base. It does this by pulling electron density away, which helps to spread out the negative charge.
Step 6: Conclude that because the -I group stabilizes the conjugate base, it increases the acidity of the carboxylic acid.
