Asam karboxilat ngarupakeun asam lemah, sabab disosiasi molekul RCOOH ngan kira 1% nu jadi [[kation]] H<sup>+</sup> jeung [[anion]] RCOO<sup>-</sup> na suhu rohangan dina leyuran [[cai]].
Dua atom oxigén [[éléktronégativiti|éléktronégatif]] cenderung metot éléktron ngajauhan hidrogén na gugus [[hidroxil]], sedengkeun [[proton]] H<sup>+</sup> sésana bisa leupas kalawan gampang. TheMuatan remainingnégatif negativesésana chargesalajengna isnyebar thensimétris distributeddi symmetricallyantara amongdua theatom two oxygen atomsoxigén, and the two carbon–oxygensarta [[chemicalbeungkeut bondkimia|bondsbeungkeut]] takekarbon–oxigén onmibanda aciri partialbeungkeut doubleganda bond characterparsial (i.e., they are delocaliseddélokalisasi).
ThisIeu isngarupakeun ahasil resulttina ofstruktur therésonans resonancenu structurekaciptakeun createdku byayana thekomponén [[carbonylkarbonil]] componentna ofasam thekarboxilat, carboxylicnu acid,mun withoutteu whichkitu thegugus OH-na group does not as easilymoal losegampang itskaleungitan H<sup>+</sup>-na (seetempo [[alcoholalkohol]]).
Ayana gugus éléktronégatif (kayaning -[[gugus hidroxil|OH]] atawa -[[Klorin|Cl]]) nuturkeun gugus karboxilat bakal ngaronjatkeun kaasaman. Sahingga, pikeun conto, [[asam trikloroasétat]] (tilu gugus -Cl) ngarupakeun asam nu leuwih kuat batan [[asam laktat]] (hiji gugus -OH) nu leuwih kuat batan [[asam asetat]] (teu boga gugus séjén).
The presence of electronegative groups (such as -[[hydroxyl group|OH]] or -[[Chlorine|Cl]]) next to the carboxylic group increases the acidity. So for example, [[trichloroacetic acid]] (three -Cl groups) is a stronger acid than [[lactic acid]] (one -OH group) which in turn is stronger than [[acetic acid]] (no helping group).
