Under standard conditions is the ionization of a carboxylic acid spontaneous or not? A typical carboxylic acid has a pK_a of 4. A) It is spontaneous B) It is not spontaneous C) Not enough information is provided

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The pK_a of a typical carboxylic acid is 4, which means that the equilibrium constant for the ionization of the acid is 10^-4. This means that the concentration of the ionized form of the acid is much lower than the concentration of the unionized form, so the ionization of the acid is not spontaneous.

Under Standard Conditions Is the Ionization of a Carboxylic Acid