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How is the carboxyl group arranged in a carboxylic acid molecule?
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carboxylic acid
Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.
In a carboxylic acid molecule, the carboxyl group (–COOH) is arranged such that a central carbon atom is bonded to an oxygen atom by a double bond and to a hydroxyl group (–OH) by a single bond.1
The name "carboxyl" is derived from these two components: the carbonyl group (C=O) and the hydroxyl group (–OH). A fourth bond links this central carbon atom to either a hydrogen atom or another univalent combining group. This specific arrangement is fundamental to the compound's chemical properties, particularly its acidity, as the resulting structure allows for the formation of a stable carboxylate ion through resonance when the molecule donates a proton.12