Chapter 04 Carbon and its Compounds Questions-04
Questions
1. How would you distinguish experimentally between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid?
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Answer
We can distinguish between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid on the basis of their reaction with carbonates and hydrogen carbonates. Acid reacts with carbonate and hydrogen carbonate to evolve $CO 2$ gas that turns lime water milky.
Metal Carbonate/ Metal Hydrogencarbonate + Carboxylic acid
$ \begin{gathered} \downarrow \\ \text{ Salt }+ \text{ Water }+ \text{ Carbon dioxide } \end{gathered} $
Alcohols, on the other hand, do not react with carbonates and hydrogen carbonates.
2. What are oxidising agents?
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Answer
Oxidizing agent:
- An oxidizing agent is a substance that oxidizes other substances involved in the reaction by gaining or accepting electrons from them.
- It is also referred to as an oxidizer or oxidant.
- Common examples of oxidizing agents are oxygen ( $\mathrm{O}_2$ ), hydrogen peroxide $\left(\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}_2\right)$, and halogens (chlorine $(\mathrm{Cl})$, fluorine $(\mathrm{F})$, etc.).
