Organic ChemistryRequired Practical
Formation of Carboxylic Acids
Part of Carboxylic Acids — GCSE Chemistry
This required practical covers Formation of Carboxylic Acids within Carboxylic Acids for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Carboxylic Acids in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 5 of 14 in this topic. Revise both the method and the reason for each step, because practical questions often test understanding rather than pure recall.
Topic position
Section 5 of 14
Practice
20 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
🔄 Formation of Carboxylic Acids
Primary Method: Oxidation of Alcohols
Specific Example — Ethanol to Ethanoic Acid:
C₂H₅OH + 2[O] → CH₃COOH + H₂O
This is what happens when wine turns to vinegar!
C₂H₅OH + 2[O] → CH₃COOH + H₂O
This is what happens when wine turns to vinegar!
Laboratory Conditions:
• Oxidising agent: Acidified potassium dichromate(VI)
• Heat under reflux
• Orange dichromate turns green as Cr³⁺ forms
• Oxidising agent: Acidified potassium dichromate(VI)
• Heat under reflux
• Orange dichromate turns green as Cr³⁺ forms