levo

Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids

Oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes and carboxylic acids

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 1 and 2

Overview

Recall questions on the oxidising agent and its colour change, the conditions that stop at the aldehyde and those that go on to the acid, distillation against reflux, the equations written with [O], and why a tertiary alcohol resists oxidation altogether.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Name the oxidising agent normally used to oxidise an alcohol in the laboratory.

Key term

What symbol is used to represent the oxidising agent in an organic equation?

Key term

Name the two classes of product that can be obtained by oxidising a primary alcohol.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Name the oxidising agent normally used to oxidise an alcohol in the laboratory.

    Model answer

    Potassium dichromate(VI) acidified with dilute sulfuric acid is used.

  2. 2

    What symbol is used to represent the oxidising agent in an organic equation?

    Model answer

    The oxidising agent is written as [O].

  3. 3

    Name the two classes of product that can be obtained by oxidising a primary alcohol.

    Model answer

    An aldehyde is obtained first, and further oxidation gives a carboxylic acid.

  4. 4

    Write the equation for the oxidation of ethanol to ethanal.

    Model answer

    CH₃CH₂OH + [O] → CH₃CHO + H₂O.

  5. 5

    Write the equation for the oxidation of ethanal to ethanoic acid.

    Model answer

    CH₃CHO + [O] → CH₃COOH.

  6. 6

    State the conditions used to stop the oxidation of a primary alcohol at the aldehyde.

    Model answer

    The oxidising agent is added slowly to the warmed alcohol and the aldehyde is distilled off as soon as it forms, using an excess of the alcohol.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

Formulae and Equations
Basic Ideas About Atoms
Chemical Calculations
Bonding

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

An is formed.
alkenealcoholaldehyde

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe equation is k = A exp(−Ea/RT).
BHere k is the rate constant.
CA is the pre-exponential factor.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Kc is a fixed number at a given temperature.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.