When ethanoic acid is fully neutralised by sodium hydroxide the salt sodium ethanoate is formed. What is the formula of the ethanoate ion in this salt?
Question 1 Report
When ethanoic acid is fully neutralised by sodium hydroxide the salt sodium ethanoate is formed. What is the formula of the ethanoate ion in this salt?
Answer Details
Neutralisation removes the acidic hydrogen from the carboxyl group and leaves a negatively charged ion: \[ \mathrm{CH_3COOH + NaOH \rightarrow CH_3COONa + H_2O} \] The ethanoate ion is therefore \( \mathrm{CH_3COO^-} \), carrying a single negative charge on the site where the hydrogen used to be.
The hydroxide ion comes from the alkali, not the acid, and is used up in forming water. The carbonate ion belongs to a different family and carries a 2- charge. \( \mathrm{CH_3OH} \) is methanol, a neutral molecule with no charge and no carboxyl group. To write any carboxylate ion, delete the acidic hydrogen and add one negative charge.
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