Question

Will a carboxylic acid be more soluble in acidic or basic solutions?

Answer 1

It will be more soluble in a basic solution. Of course, it will be present in solution as its conjugate base, the carboxylate ion.

Explanation:

`RC(=O)OH + OH^(-) rarr RC(=O)O^(-) + H_2O`
A base will react with a weak acid to give the appropriate products. The charged species should be more soluble in aqueous solution than its parent acid.