The oxidisation of ethanol Essay Example
The oxidisation of ethanol Essay Example

The oxidisation of ethanol Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (371 words)
  • Published: September 20, 2017
  • Type: Experiment
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The aim of this experiment involves the oxidation of primary alcohol, ethanol, resulting in the production of either an aldhyde or a carboxylic acid. The desired outcome is to test and determine whether the final product is ethanol or ethanoic acid.

Safety

While conducting any experiment, it is crucial to prioritize safety. In this experiment, given that ethanol is highly flammable when heated, precautions such as wearing goggles and tying back hair are necessary. A stopper must also be utilized to prevent boiling over and reduce the likelihood of exposing ethanol to direct flame.

When handling chemicals such as sodium dichromate and sulphuric acid, care should be taken to avoid spillages and direct contact with skin. Gloves must be worn and any cuts or broken skin should be covered. Hands should be washed after handling chemicals, and if skin

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contact occurs, it should be washed with cold water immediately.

Observations

During distillation

As the mixture containing ethanol was slowly added into the pear shaped flask, the color of the mixture turned green and progressively darkened. The mixture continued to bubble, indicating that it was still boiling.

After about 1 minute, the bubbling intensified and clouds of gas emerged, traveling down the tube to the conical flask submerged in iced water. This process continued until the gas condensed, producing a colorless distillate with a fruity smell. Even after the ethanol had been added, the mixture continued boiling for some time. Once the boiling had stopped in the pear-shaped flask, two tests were conducted on the distillate to identify whether it was ethanal (an aldehyde) or ethanoic acid (a carboxylic acid). For further reading, check out the

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Distillate Testing Results

When 5 drops of the distillate were added to 5cm of 2,4-dinitrophenythylhydrazine, a yellow/orange precipitate formed indicating the presence of ethanal an aldhyde. The second test involved adding 5 drops of the distillate and 5 drops of universal indicator. After the addition of universal indicator to the distillate, the liquid turned red, demonstrating the creation of an acid, specifically ethanoic acid. These observations suggest that ethanol underwent oxidation to produce ethanal and then further oxidation resulting in the creation of ethanoic acid. Thus, both products were formed.

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