Hi ! I'm looking at the textbook and it says when you react a metal with a carboxylic acid you get a carboxylate and a hydrogen. I don't get why hydrogen is produced and not H+ from the carboxylic acid. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you <3
Hi, in basic terms I’m fairly certain it’s because metal + acid → salt + Hydrogen always, the carboxylate being the salt. The carboxylic acid is being reduced, the metal is oxidised.
Hi, in basic terms I’m fairly certain it’s because metal + acid → salt + Hydrogen always, the carboxylate being the salt. The carboxylic acid is being reduced, the metal is oxidised.
The metal is neutral at the start. For example, magnesium. By the end, it becomes a 2+ ion as it loses its outer shell electrons. These electrons have to go somewhere. The hydrogen is the only thing that can get these electrons, so becomes neutral.