Propanoic Acid (CH3CH2COOH) Properties (25 Facts You Should Know)

Propanoic acid is an organic fatty acid, also known as valeric acid. It is used for synthesizing chemical compounds. Let us discuss interesting facts about propanoic acid.

Propanoic acid is a natural carboxylic acid with a short length of three carbon atoms. The propanoic acid is also known as met-acetonic acid or ethyl formic acid. In strength, it is less acidic than acetic acid which is commonly known as vinegar.

We will be discussing various properties like melting point, boiling point, physico-chemical behaviour of propanoic acid in this article.  

Propanoic acid IUPAC name

The IUPAC name of CH₃CH₂COOH is Propanoic acid.

Propanoic acid chemical formula

The chemical formula of propanoic acid is CH₃CH₂COOH (C₃H₆O₂).

Propanoic acid CAS number

The CAS number of CH₃CH₂COOH is 79-09-4.

Propanoic acid ChemSpider ID

ChemSpider ID for CH₃CH₂COOH is 1005.

Propanoic acid chemical classification

CH₃CH₂COOH is classified as a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid with three chain carbon length.

Propanoic acid molar mass

CH₃CH₂COOH has a molar mass of 75.07 g/mol.

Propanoic acid color

CH₃CH₂COOH is a colorless liquid.

Propanoic acid viscosity

CH₃CH₂COOH viscosity at room temperature is 1.02 cP (centipoise).

Propanoic acid molar density

CH₃CH₂COOH molar density is 0.98797 g/cm³.

Propanoic acid melting point

The CH₃CH₂COOH melting point is -21⁰C.

Propanoic acid boiling point

CH₃CH₂COOH boiling point is 141.2 ⁰C (414.35 K).

Propanoic acid state at room temperature

CH₃CH₂COOH exists in a liquid state with an oily texture at room temperature.

Propanoic acid ionic/covalent bond

CH₃CH₂COOH forms 10 covalent bonds. The physical and chemical properties of those bonds are different.

Propanoic acid ionic/covalent radius

CH₃CH₂COOH cannot have covalent radii as it is an organic molecule and covalent radii is the property of elements.

Propanoic acid electron configurations

Electronic configurations count for the arrangement of electrons in an atom or an element. Let us discuss the electronic configuration of CH₃CH₂COOH.

CH₃CH₂COOH electronic configuration can be explained as the electronic configuration of its constituent atoms.

• The electronic configuration of carbon is [He]2s²sp² and [He]2s²sp⁴.

• The electronic configuration of hydrogen is 1s².

The propanoic acid oxidation state

For CH₃CH₂COOH oxidation state cannot be determined as there is no gain or loss of electrons.

Propanoic acid acidity/alkaline

CH₃CH₂COOH is acidic in nature with PK_A value 4.88, which represents the quantitative estimation of acidity.

Is propanoic acid odourless?

CH₃CH₂COOH has a pungent and rancid odour.

Is propanoic acid paramagnetic?

Paramagnetic substances exhibit magnetism in the presence of external magnetic field where electrons of substance orient in a particular direction. Let us discuss paramagnetic behavior of CH₃CH₂COOH.

CH₃CH₂COOH does not show paramagnetism as all the electrons are shared for bond formation and no unpaired electron is present.   

Propanoic acid hydrates

CH₃CH₂COOH does not exist in a hydrated form as all the constituents have complete valency.

Propanoic acid crystal structure

CH₃CH₂COOH crystallizes in a monoclinic system with a P2₁/c space group at -95 ⁰C.

Propanoic acid polarity and conductivity

• CH₃CH₂COOH exhibits polar nature with dipole moment is 0.63D (Debye).

• The conductivity of CH₃CH₂COOH is 10 ohm^-1cmeq^-1 for 1 M solutions.

Propanoic acid reaction with acid

Propanoic acid’s reaction with acids will depend upon the strength of the acid. Therefore, there can be three cases which are as follows:

• Case 1. When the reacting acid has the same strength as CH₃CH₂COOH, no reaction will take place.

• Case 2. When the reacting acid strong: It will release the H⁺ ion and protonate CH₃CH₂COOH
• CH₃CH₂COOH + CH₃COOH = CH₃CH₂COOH⁺ + CH₃COO^–

• Case 3. When the reacting acid is weak: It will accept the H⁺ ions from CH₃CH₂COOH
• CH₃CH₂COOH + CH₃COOH = CH₃CH₂COO^– + CH₃COOH⁺

Propanoic acid reaction with base

CH₃CH₂COOH reacts with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (base) to form sodium propionate (salt) and water as the by-product, as shown in the equation below.

CH₃CH₂COOH + NaOH = CH₃CH₂COO^–Na⁺ +H₂O

Propanoic acid reaction with oxide

CH₃CH₂COOH reacts with calcium oxide to form calcium propionate (salt) and water. It is also a neutralization reaction.

CH₃CH₂COOH + CaO = (CH₃CH₂COO)₂Ca + H₂O

Propanoic acid reaction with the metal

CH₃CH₂COOH reacts with metals (reactive metals) to form metal carboxylates, and hydrogen is liberated in the reaction, as shown in the equation where reaction with sodium metal result in the formation of sodium propionate and water.

CH₃CH₂COOH + Na = CH₃CH₂COONa + H₂O

Conclusion

Propanoic acid is a very essential member of the carboxylic acid group with a saturated alkyl chain and linear chain form.   

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