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Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

Q1. [4]
Alcohol forms a homologous series with general formula CₙH₂ₙ₊₁–OH and –OH group as functional group. Ethanol is commonly called alcohol and is used in alcoholic drinks. It is good solvent, used in medicines, cough syrups, tonics etc.
Answer the following questions based on the passage:
  1. (a) Write structural formula and name of 4th member of alcohol homologous series. [1]
  2. (b) What happens when ethanol is heated with alkaline KMnO₄ ? Write chemical equation involved. [1]
  3. (c) Write the chemical equation of reaction of ethanol with ethanoic acid in the presence of concentrated H₂SO₄. Write the name of this reaction. [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 31/5/1 Q28
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:46 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer

(a) The 4th member of the alcohol homologous series (n = 4) is Butan-1-ol.

Structural formula: CH₃–CH₂–CH₂–CH₂–OH

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(b) When ethanol is heated with alkaline KMnO₄, it gets oxidised to ethanoic acid.

$$\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH} \xrightarrow{\text{alk. KMnO}_4/\Delta} \text{CH}_3\text{COOH}$$

Alkaline KMnO₄ acts as an oxidising agent.

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(c) When ethanol reacts with ethanoic acid in the presence of conc. H₂SO₄, esterification reaction takes place:

$$\text{CH}_3\text{COOH} + \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} \underset{\Delta}{\overset{\text{conc. H}_2\text{SO}_4}{\rightleftharpoons}} \text{CH}_3\text{COOC}_2\text{H}_5 + \text{H}_2\text{O}$$

The product ethyl ethanoate is an ester with a sweet fruity smell.

Source: Carbon and its Compounds, Ethanol and its reactions

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Explanation
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