Question

Describe what happens when ethanol is warmed with acidified potassium dichromate solution. Give the name and structural formula of one organic compound formed in this reaction.

Answer 1

• Ethanol is a member of the Alcohol group.
• The molecular formula of Ethanol is ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}$.
• Acidified Potassium dichromate solution (${\mathrm{K}}_2{\mathrm{Cr}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7$) is a strong oxidizing agent that will oxidize Ethanol.
• When Ethanol is warmed with Acidified Potassium dichromate solution, then first, it will convert into Ethanal (${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CHO}$) and then it will convert into Ethanoic acid.

(${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}$).

• The chemical reaction of preparation of Ethanoic acid is shown below:

$\underset{\mathrm{Ethanol}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}\underset{{\mathrm{H}}^{+}}{\overset{{\mathrm{K}}_2{\mathrm{Cr}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_7}{\to }}\underset{\mathrm{Ethanal}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CHO}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Ethanoic}\mathrm{acid}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}$

• The structural formula of Ethanoic acid is given below: