An organic liquid, when reacted with concentrated sulfuric acid, produces a compound that decolourises bromine water - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 11 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 11
An organic liquid, when reacted with concentrated sulfuric acid, produces a compound that decolourises bromine water.
What is the formula of the organic liquid?
(A... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:An organic liquid, when reacted with concentrated sulfuric acid, produces a compound that decolourises bromine water - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 11 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify the reaction conditions
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Answer
The question states that the organic liquid reacts with concentrated sulfuric acid. One of the key insights is recognizing that concentrated sulfuric acid can dehydrate alcohols, producing alkenes, which are capable of decolourising bromine water.
Step 2
Determine the property of the organic liquid
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Answer
For a compound to decolourise bromine water, it must be an alkene since alkenes react with bromine to form dibromides, leading to the loss of color. This means the organic liquid must be an alcohol that can be dehydrated to form an alkene.
Step 3
Analyze the options
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Now let's assess the given options:
(A) C₆H₁₂: This could represent an alkane, not suitable for bromine water reaction.
(B) C₆H₁₄: Similar reasoning as option A.
(C) C₆H₁₁OH: This is a hexanol, which can dehydrate to form an alkene.
(D) C₅H₁₁COOH: This is a carboxylic acid and would not lead to an alkene upon dehydration.
Thus, the suitable candidate is (C) C₆H₁₁OH.