What do ants, wine, and rhubarb have in common? They all contain carboxylic acids! Introduce your organic chemistry class to this common class of useful molecules with a brief video. The narrator also discusses uses of carboxylic acids, esterification, and the nomenclature of related organic molecules.

Concepts

acids, acids and bases, salt, le chatelier's principle, carbon dioxide, water, fatty acids, catalysts, chemical nomenclature

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• The resource makes a quick hook to begin a unit on carboxylic acids and esters
• Prepare samples of the esters discussed in the video and pass them around to allow the class to experience them

Classroom Considerations

• Basic knowledge of hydrocarbon chains and functional groups is helpful for viewing the video

Pros

• The narrator shows an example of Le Chatelier's Principle in a carboxylic acid reaction, helping learners tie prior knowledge from Chemistry I to their current organic studies
• Animated reactions help students follow the functional groups as they move from reactants to products

Cons

• None