How do carboxylic acids react with metals?

Carboxylic acids react with metals to produce a salt and hydrogen gas.

Carboxylic acids, like other acids, react with metals in a single displacement reaction. This is a type of redox reaction where a metal displaces hydrogen from the acid. The metal combines with the carboxylate ion (the ion formed from the carboxylic acid) to form a salt, and hydrogen gas is released.

For example, if you react a carboxylic acid such as ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) with a metal like magnesium (Mg), the magnesium will displace the hydrogen in the acid. This results in the formation of magnesium ethanoate (a salt) and hydrogen gas. The chemical equation for this reaction is: 2CH3COOH + Mg → (CH3COO)2Mg + H2.

The reaction between carboxylic acids and metals is an exothermic process, meaning it releases heat. This is because the energy required to break the bonds in the reactants (the carboxylic acid and the metal) is less than the energy released when new bonds are formed in the products (the salt and hydrogen gas).

It's important to note that not all metals react with carboxylic acids. Metals that are less reactive than hydrogen, such as copper or silver, will not displace hydrogen from the acid. The reactivity of the metal is determined by its position in the reactivity series, a list of metals in order of decreasing reactivity.

In summary, carboxylic acids react with metals to produce a salt and hydrogen gas, in an exothermic single displacement reaction. The reactivity of the metal determines whether or not the reaction will occur.