Why is the inductive effect possible?

Firstly, I must preface that I am a Biology student. To elaborate my question, I was looking for the reason why carboxylic acids are more acidic than alcohols, despite both compounds containing *—OH* groups. From my understanding it was because of the inductive effect, an example of this effect is *CH3COOH*, shown in the figure below:


[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hp6u2.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hp6u2.png)


The inductive effect in *CH3COOH* occurs because of the electron deficiency in the carbon atom, *C* (which has a partial positive charge, *δ+*). This electron deficiency on the carbon atom is present due to the more electronegative double bonded oxygen atom, *O*. However, the *O* single bonded to the *C* is also more electronegative, as a result, the electron density of the single bonded *O* moves to the *C* in order to 'counteract' the *δ+* on the *C*, leaving the *H* 'less strongly attached' to the *O* (and therefore, the molecule), thus, increasing its acidity.


Now, in an alcohol there is only one oxygen atom, see the figure below:


[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1RYjN.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1RYjN.png)


Because there is no second *O* attached to the *C*, which would cause it to become more positive, the *O* does not become less positive, by sharing electrons to counteract the positive *C*. Thus, the hydrogen atom is 'more strongly attached' to the *O* which is more negative compared to the single bonded oxygen atom in the carboxylic acid.


My **question** is, why does the carbon atom in the carboxylic acid (first figure) counteract the change and increase its pull for the electrons of the single bonded oxygen atom, instead of becoming more positive?




That's an interesting reasoning you give here.
The point is, the inductive effect is not the major factor explaining the acidity of a compound.


Electronegativity will give insights on the position of electrons along the bond, explaining that the hydrogen atom can be detached by a base in both cases (the lengths of carbon-oxygen bonds also need to be considered to understand the interaction between oxygens and carbon).


Yet, what makes a carboxylic acid more acidic than an alcohol is the stability of the conjugated base : a carboxylate ion, thanks to the $\ce{C=O}$ bond on the same carbon as the $\ce{C-O^-}$, is stable by mesomeric resonance (the lone-pair gained by the oxygen atom releasing the hydrogen can 'move', the direct consequence is that both carbon-oxygen bonds will have the same length, between $\ce{C-O}$ and $\ce{C=O}$).
However, the alcoholate will not have this resonance, thus will be less stable (see [this link](https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Athabasca_University/Chemistry_360%3A_Organic_Chemistry_II/Chapter_20%3A_Carboxylic_Acids_and_Nitriles/20.02_Structure_and_Properties_of_Carboxylic_Acids) for a longer development on that, and images).


I don't know if this is what you wanted to know, do not hesitate to tell me otherwise.


 4