levo

What's in a Medicine?

Esterification and oxidising primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 01, 02 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on the acid-catalysed ester equilibrium, the dichromate colour change, and what distillation and reflux each give from a primary alcohol.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Numbers

What is the equation for ethanol with ethanoic acid, why is it reversible, and what does ethanoic anhydride give instead?

Key term

What oxidising mixture is used on alcohols, what colour change is seen, and which ion causes the green colour?

Numbers

What forms when a primary alcohol is refluxed with excess acidified dichromate, and what are the equations using [O]?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What catalyst is used for the esterification of an alcohol with a carboxylic acid?

    Model answer

    A few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid, or dry hydrogen chloride gas.

  2. 2

    Write the equation for ethanol reacting with ethanoic acid.

    Model answer

    CH₃COOH + C₂H₅OH ⇌ CH₃COOC₂H₅ + H₂O.

  3. 3

    Why is the equation for esterification written with a reversible arrow?

    Model answer

    The reaction reaches an equilibrium, because the ester and water can react together in the reverse hydrolysis.

  4. 4

    Give two advantages of using an acid anhydride rather than a carboxylic acid to make an ester.

    Model answer

    The reaction goes essentially to completion rather than to equilibrium, and it is faster.

  5. 5

    Name the two products formed when ethanol reacts with ethanoic anhydride.

    Model answer

    Ethyl ethanoate and ethanoic acid are formed.

  6. 6

    State the oxidising mixture used to oxidise alcohols.

    Model answer

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

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.

Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry
Elements of Life
Developing Fuels
Elements From the Sea

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.

A acid is formed.
carboxylicnitricfatty

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

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

A3 ⁴₂He → ¹²₆C.
B¹²₆C + ⁴₂He → ¹⁶₈O.
C¹⁶₈O + ⁴₂He → ²⁰₁₀Ne.

Build It gets the exam shape right

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

Nitrogen is +2 in NO and +4 in NO₂.
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 What's in a Medicine?, 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.