05 Physical properties
- The first four members are corrosive liquids with a sharp, irritating smell, completely miscible with water.
- The middle members (C₅–C₉) are oily liquids with unpleasant odours and are only sparingly soluble; higher members (above C₁₀) are waxy, odourless solids and insoluble.
- Carboxylic acids boil at higher temperatures than alcohols of the same molecular mass because each pair of acid molecules is joined by two hydrogen bonds (a stable dimer):
1Methanoic
M
- 46
b.p.
- 100 °C
Alcohol
- Ethanol
M
- 46
b.p.
- 78 °C
2Ethanoic
M
- 60
b.p.
- 118 °C
Alcohol
- 1-Propanol
M
- 60
b.p.
- 97–98 °C