Question

Prasad has a saturated alcohol X of chemical formula C₄H₉OH. 

(a) Write the chemical formula of a member Y that comes two places after X in the homologous series and state by how much will its molecular mass differ from that of X. 

(b) How do the chemical properties of X compare with those of Y? Give reason.

(c) Write the chemical formula of the product Z formed by heating Y with acidified potassium dichromate. Write the general formula for compounds in the homologous series that Z belongs to.

Answer 1

(a) Y: C₆H₁₃OH

molecular mass of Y = X + 28; (where 28 = atomic wt. of C X 2 + atomic wt. of H X 4 = 12 x 2 + 1 x 4)

(b) The chemical properties of X and Y will be similar.

Both X and Y are have an alcoholic functional group which determines their chemical properties.

(c) Chemical formula of Z: C₅H₁₁COOH 

C_nH_2n+1COOH OR C_nH_2nO₂ .