Salts of organic acids are soluble in water.
True
False
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: ✅ True
Explanation (300 words):
Salts of organic acids are generally soluble in water, and this is due to the ionic nature of salts and the polarity of water molecules.
Organic acids, such as acetic acid (CH₃COOH) or citric acid, contain a carboxyl group (-COOH), which can donate a proton (H⁺) to form a conjugate base (e.g., CH₃COO⁻). When an organic acid reacts with a base (like sodium hydroxide, NaOH), it forms a salt (e.g., sodium acetate, CH₃COONa). This salt consists of an organic anion (acetate) and an inorganic cation (sodium ion, Na⁺).
Water is a polar solvent, meaning its molecules have partial positive and negative charges. When salts of organic acids are placed in water, the positive and negative ions are attracted to the oppositely charged ends of water molecules. This attraction causes the ions to separate and become hydrated, or surrounded by water molecules, leading to dissolution in water.
For example:
- Sodium acetate (CH₃COONa)
- Potassium citrate (C₆H₅K₃O₇)
- Sodium benzoate (C₆H₅COONa)
All these salts are highly soluble in water due to the ionic interactions between the salt ions and water molecules.
However, solubility can vary depending on the size and structure of the organic acid. For instance, salts derived from very large or hydrophobic organic acids may be less soluble due to the bulky non-polar carbon chains which water does not interact with well. But in general, most salts of small to medium-chain organic acids are water-soluble.
In conclusion, the true statement reflects the general chemical behavior of these compounds: Salts of organic acids are soluble in water due to the favorable interactions between ions and polar water molecules.