Why Do Oxalic and Citric Acid Solutions Remain Unreactive, While Oleic and Tannic Acid Solutions React?
Hi r/chemhelp, I've been looking into the reactivity differences among various organic acid solutions. I have to do a short high school level research on this: I observed that aqueous solutions of oxalic acid and citric acid do not react noticeably with calcium carbonate or potassium iodide, whereas solutions of oleic acid and tannic acid do show reactivity. I’m trying to understand the mechanisms behind these differences. Is it due to their degree of dissociation, pH stabilization, or perhaps solvation effects that keep their ions “locked” in solution? How do the molecular structures of oleic acid (with its long hydrophobic chain) and tannic acid (with multiple phenolic groups) contribute to their reactivity with substances like CaCO₃ and KI?
Thanks in advance.
Posted Mar 12, 2025, 7:52 PM UTC