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Chemistry Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (2 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Alcohols and Carboxylic Acids

Test Yourself 23.1 and 23.2 (page 453)

1. (a) General formula of alcohol = CnH2n+1OH

2n + 1 + 1 = 8
n=3
Number of carbon atoms = 3
(b) Propanol
(c) 2C3H7OH + 9O2 → 6CO2 + 8H2O
1 mol of propanol produces 3 mol of carbon dioxide when it is burnt completely.

2. (a)

[Comment: Isomers of this alcohol, such as butan-2-ol, are acceptable.]

(b) It is a liquid at room temperature and pressure.

It can be oxidised to give a carboxylic acid and water.
– +
3. The hydroxide group (OH ) in sodium hydroxide forms an ionic bond with a sodium ion (Na ). The
hydroxyl group (−OH) in alcohols forms a covalent bond with carbon.

Test Yourself 23.3 and 23.4 (page 456)

(a) Glucose solution and yeast

yeast
(b) glucose solution ethanol + carbon dioxide
(c) Alcohol present in the resulting mixture will be oxidised to form a carboxylic acid called ethanoic acid.

Test Yourself 23.5 to 23.8 (page 463)

1. The solution slowly turns red. This is because ethanol is oxidised by atmospheric oxygen in the
presence of bacteria to ethanoic acid.

2. (a) Reactants and conditions for I: Steam; phosphoric(V) acid at 300°C and 60 atm
Reactants and conditions for II: Ethanoic acid (CH3COOH); small quantity of concentrated sulfuric
acid, heat
(b) I = hydration, II = esterification

3. (a) P is methanoic acid.

(b) Q is ethanoic acid.
(c) R is hydrogen.
S is magnesium propanoate.

4. (a) CH3COOH and CH3CH2CH2OH

(b) CH3COOH and CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2OH

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Chemistry Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (2 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 23

IT Learning Room (page 463)

(a) Lactose (milk sugar), fructose (fruit sugar) and saccharose (sucrose or cane sugar)
(b) A gas (carbon dioxide) is released, causing foaming.
(c) (i) Lactose
(ii) Saccharose (sucrose)
(d) The yeast does not contain the enzyme required to break down lactose into glucose.

Get it Right (page 465)

(a) True
(b) True
(c) False. The reaction between glucose and yeast to form ethanol and carbon dioxide is called
fermentation.
(d) False. When an alcoholic drink is left exposed to air, it slowly turns sour because ethanol is being
oxidised by bacteria in the air to form ethanoic acid, which is sour.
(e) True
(f) False. The general formula of carboxylic acids is CnH2n+1COOH (where n = 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.)
(g) False. Calcium ethanoate, (CH3COO)2Ca, is the salt obtained when calcium hydroxide reacts with
ethanoic acid.
(h) False. When ethanol is boiled with acidified potassium dichromate(VI), the organic product obtained
has the molecular formula, C2H4O2.
(i) True

Let’s Review (pages 465–467)

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions

1. D 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. B 6. B 7. D

Section B: Structured Questions

1. (a) I: Fermentation
II: Oxidation
III: Combustion
(b) (i) Structural formula of ethanol:

(ii) Structural formula of ethanoic acid:

2. (a) P is made from ethene by the catalytic addtion of steam to ethene. The mixture of ethene and
steam is passed through a catalyst, phosphoric(V) acid, at 300 °C and 60 atm.
(b) (i) A mixture of potassium dichromate(VI) solution (K2Cr2O7) and dilute sulfuric acid
(ii) Heat
(c) Oxidation
(d) (i) Methanol (CH3OH)
(ii) Concentrated sulfuric acid
(iii) Warm the mixure
(e) Esterification

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Chemistry Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (2 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 23

3. (a) (i) Fermentation

(ii) Yeast is a living organism. Yeast functions well at about 37 °C. Increasing the temperature
will kill the yeast and thus stop the fermentation process.
(b) (i) The gas is acidic.
(ii) The test tube containing the indicator solution acts as an air lock that prevents air from the
surroundings from getting into the flask.

4. (a) Tartaric acid tastes sour because it contains the –COOH group, which is weakly acidic.
(b) (i) • Both tartaric acid and butanoic acid contain the –COOH group.
• Both tartaric acid and butanoic acid contain four carbon atoms per molecule.
(ii) They have different molecular formulae.
Tartaric acid contains the hydroxyl (–OH) functional group, but butanoic acid does not
contain the –OH functional group.
(c) (i)

+ 2NaOH →

(ii) Number of moles of the organic product (sodium tartrate) formed

= 0.5 mol

Mr of sodium tartrate (Na2C4H4O6)

= (2 × 23) + (4 × 12) + (4 × 1) + (6 × 16)
= 194
Mass of sodium tartrate produced = 0.5 × 194 = 97 g

Section C: Free-Response Questions

1. (a) Empirical formula : H4C2O3

Molecular formula: H4C2O3
(b) Mr of glycolic acid (H4C2O3) = (4 × 1) + (2 × 12) + (3 × 16) = 76
3.04
Number of moles of H4C2O3 = = 0.04 mol
76
O O
|| ||
HO – CH2 – C – OH + NaOH → HO – CH2 – C – ONa + H2O
Number of moles of NaOH needed = 0.04 mol
0.04 3
Volume of NaOH needed = × 1000 = 20.0 cm
2.0
(c) CnH2nO3

2. (a) The prefix ‘propen–’ shows that it has an alkene group with three carbon atoms. The suffix ‘–ol’
shows that it is an alcohol.
(b) (i) The alcohol series
(ii) The alcohol series
(c) • Propenol contains a C=C bond while glycerol contains only C–C bonds.
• Propenol contains only one –OH group, but glycerol contains three –OH groups.
(d) (i) Hot, acidified potassium dichromate(VI)
Formula: CH2=CHCOOH
(ii) Aqueous bromine at room temperature
Formula: CH2BrCHBrCOOH

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Chemistry Matters for GCE ‘O’ Level (2 Edition): Full Solutions to Textbook Questions Chapter 23

(e) Heat, concentrated sulfuric acid.

Structural formula of organic product (an ester):

O H O
|| | ||
CH3 – C – O – CH2 – C — CH2 – O – C – CH3
|
O – C – CH3
||
O

Chemistry Today (page 468)

(a) They are long chain molecules.

They are unsaturated organic compounds.
They are esters.
(b) The pheromone must be volatile, so that the smell can be detected.
(c) The sex pheromones can be synthesised and released from numerous sources throughout the crop
to be protected. In this way, the males get confused and are unable to locate the females.
Consequently, the number of matings is greatly reduced. (Comment: This method is called mating
disruption.)
The synthetic pheromones are placed in traps to catch the males when they come for mating.
(Comment: This is called ‘attract and kill’ method.)

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