Oxidation of Primary alcohols.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTk0qCKhcvs

What happens when we oxidise a primary alcohol

We make an aldehyde, so ethanol is oxidised to ethanal, we also make one molecule of water

Carried out using an oxidising agent, a common one is potassium dichromate with dilute sulfuric acid (acidified potassium dichromate)

How can we remove aldehyde so it doesnt oxidise.

By gently heating alcohol, and oxidising agent we product the aldehyde, it then evaporates and passes into the condenser, where it condenses back to a liquid and is removed

What happens when aldehydes are oxidised (they are easily oxidised)

They become carboxylic acids.

How much oxidising agent is needed to oxidise a primary alcohol to a carboxylic acid

We need 2 molecules.

What happens when reaction is heated under reflux

Any volatile products are condensed and return to reaction mix ,

By heating under reflux, we can heat chemicals until the reaction completes and we make our carboxylic acid.

At end, we have carboxylic acid , plus any unreacted alcohol , aldehyde and unreacted oxidising agent