Like aldehydes and ketones, the carbonyl carbon atom is sp 2 -hybridized; like alcohols, carboxylic acids are associated through hydrogen-bonding and therefore have high boiling points Although weaker than mineral acids such as HCl, carboxylic acids dissociate much more readily than alcohols because the resultant carboxylate ions are stabilized by resonance between two equivalent forms

Carboxylic acids are among the most useful building blocks for synthesizing other molecules, both in nature and in the laboratory. Thus, an understanding of their properties and reactions is fundamental to understanding biological chemistry.

carbonyl carbon atom — sp 2 -hybridized; like alcohols, carboxylic acids are associated through hydrogen-bonding and therefore have high boiling points. resultant carboxylate ions — stabilized by resonance between two equivalent forms.