Question

Name the acid present in the following: Orange.

Answer 1

Hint: As orange is a fruit so an aromatic acid will be present in it. Aromatic acids are the compounds which contain the $ - COOH$ functional group attached to an aromatic ring. The simplest aromatic acid is the benzoic acid. As orange is a fruit which is edible so it will obviously contain an acid which will be less acidic in nature.

 Complete answer:
The acid that is present in orange is Citric acid. We can find citric acid in all citrus fruits like orange, lemons, limes etc. Citric acid is added to most of the diets as it is highly nutritious and hence considered an excellent addition to most diets. However, the amount of acid in oranges can irritate some people with sensitive stomachs.
Let us see how citric acid is prepared: -
Molasses which contain sucrose is diluted with water and then subjected to the process of fermentation with the use of a microorganism Aspergillus niger. Fermentation is a process that involves chemical breakdown of a compound by bacteria, yeast or another organism.
So, we write the reaction as: -

                 

This process is carried out for $7 - 10$ days at $26^\circ - 28^\circ C$.
Here are some uses of citric acid:
1-Citric acid adds sour taste to lemons, grapefruit and oranges
2-We add citric acid to food products like candy, soda and juice to make them taste sour.
3-It is used as a preservative for canned foods and also for preserving meat because of its acidity quality.
4-It is also used in households as a cleaner.

Note:Citric acid is a weak acid with a $pH$ of $4.35$ . Some other important acids are also present in orange which are Ascorbic acid, Tartaric acid, and Malic acid. These acids are present on the peel of the orange. Ascorbic acid is also commonly known as Vitamin C. Oxalic acid is also present but on the leaves of the orange.