Ascorbic acid (C6H8O6) has how many acidic protons that it will lose when reacting with NaOH?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Oct 1, 2017

Hard to say...

I would say only one (with #K_(a1) = 7.9 xx 10^(-5)#), from looking at its structure... perhaps two if you really cared for a #K_(a2)# of only #1.6 xx 10^(-12)#. If you really slammed it with #"NaOH"#, you would eventually abstract that second proton, but it would take a while.

![https://upload.wikimedia.org/](useruploads.socratic.org)

[Carbonic acid is considered diprotic and its second #K_a# is an order of magnitude larger than the second #K_a# of ascorbic acid.]

[More #K_a#s can be found here.](http://www2.ucdsb.on.ca/tiss/stretton/database/polyprotic_acids.htm)

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