Fruity Facts - About carboxylic acid

Do you remember the amazing refreshing feeling of a glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day? You may have noticed the sharp sour taste of the lemonade. This tartness is a result of carboxylic acids. This is an organic acid that is found in a variety of fruits including grapes, lemons and vinegar.

Carboxylic acid is a form of organic acid. You can identify these acids by their structure. They all contain one carbon atom, one oxygen atom and one hydroxyl group. The combination of one carbon, one oxygen and hydroxyl group (COOH )is called a carboxyl group. It is because of this that acids derived from them are called carboxylic acids.

The combination of one carbon, one oxygen and hydroxyl group (COOH )is called a carboxyl group. Carboxylic acids are widely found in nature. You can find them as free acids like citric acid, tannic acid and malic acid. Esters the products of acids and alcohols also contain carboxylic acids. These include fats and oils, flavours of fruits and odours of flowers. Some bacteria can also cause natural reactions in which these acids are formed. Some examples include acetic acid from wine or cider, lactic acid found in sour milk and the butyric acid in rancid butter.

CAN you now answer the questions:

What is a carboxylic acid?

Where do you find carboxylic acids?