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!
Conditions:
• An oxidising agent is used
• Heat under reflux
• An oxidising agent is used
• Heat under reflux
This required practical covers Formation of Carboxylic Acids within Carboxylic Acids for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Carboxylic Acids in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 22 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 15 in this topic. Revise both the method and the reason for each step, because practical questions often test understanding rather than pure recall.
Practice questions for Carboxylic Acids
What is the functional group present in all carboxylic acids?
Explain why carboxylic acids are described as weak acids.
Quick recall flashcards
What are carboxylic acids?
Organic compounds containing the -COOH carboxyl functional group
What is the formula of ethanoic acid?
CH₃COOH