Question: what is the difference between an aldehyde a ketone and a carboxylic acid?
Answer: Aldehydes and ketones contain the carbonyl functional group. In an aldehyde, the carbonyl is at the end of a carbon chain, while in a ketone, it is in the middle. A carboxylic acid contains the carboxyl functional group. They are weak acids because the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group is ionizable.