Lesson 3.3.5.2

3.3.5.2 Oxidation of alcohols Quiz: AQA Chemistry, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.5.2, Oxidation of alcohols: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Chemistry (7405), Unit 3: Organic chemistry, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the product formed when a primary alcohol is oxidised with distillation of the product?

    • An alkene
    • A ketone
    • An aldehyde
    • A carboxylic acid

  2. What is the product of heating a primary alcohol under reflux with excess oxidising agent?

    • A carboxylic acid
    • A ketone
    • An aldehyde
    • An ester only

  3. What is the product of oxidising a secondary alcohol?

    • An alkene
    • A carboxylic acid
    • A ketone
    • An aldehyde

  4. Why are tertiary alcohols not easily oxidised?

    • They contain a C=C double bond
    • They have no hydrogen on the carbon bearing the OH group
    • They have too many hydrogens to be oxidised
    • They are ionic in structure

  5. Which oxidising agent is used for the oxidation of alcohols in this specification?

    • Ethanol
    • Dilute sodium hydroxide
    • Acidified potassium dichromate(VI)
    • Sodium chloride solution

  6. What is the colour change of acidified potassium dichromate(VI) during oxidation of an alcohol?

    • Colourless to blue
    • Purple to colourless
    • Green to orange
    • Orange to green

  7. Write the equation for the oxidation of ethanol to ethanal using [O] as the oxidant.

    • CH3CH2OH + [O] -> CH3CH3 + O2
    • CH3CH2OH + 2[O] -> CH2=CH2 + 2H2O
    • CH3CH2OH + [O] -> CH3CHO + H2O
    • CH3CH2OH + [O] -> CH3COOH + H2O

  8. What is the product when ethanol is oxidised fully to a carboxylic acid?

    • Ethene
    • Propanone
    • Ethanal
    • Ethanoic acid

  9. Which compound is formed by oxidation of propan-2-ol?

    • Propanoic acid
    • Propanal
    • Propanone
    • Propan-1-ol

  10. Which chemical test distinguishes aldehydes from ketones?

    • Lime water
    • Sodium carbonate
    • Bromine water
    • Tollens' reagent or Fehling's solution

  11. What is observed when an aldehyde is warmed with Tollens' reagent?

    • A silver mirror forms on the inside of the tube
    • A purple colour forms
    • A green precipitate forms
    • Nothing happens

  12. What is observed when an aldehyde is warmed with Fehling's solution?

    • A red precipitate of copper(I) oxide forms
    • A colourless solution forms
    • A white precipitate forms
    • A blue solution remains unchanged

  13. What is the result of adding Tollens' reagent to a ketone?

    • A red precipitate forms
    • A green solution forms
    • A silver mirror forms
    • No reaction occurs

  14. Why does the method of oxidising a primary alcohol determine whether an aldehyde or carboxylic acid is obtained?

    • Distilling off the aldehyde as it forms prevents its further oxidation, while reflux allows full oxidation
    • Only heating without oxidant gives an acid
    • The oxidising agent changes the alcohol to an alkene
    • Reflux removes the aldehyde while distillation oxidises it fully

  15. What is the product of the oxidation of butan-1-ol using reflux with excess dichromate?

    • Butan-2-one
    • But-1-ene
    • Butanoic acid
    • Butanal

  16. Which of these compounds gives a positive result with Tollens' reagent?

    • Propanone
    • Propan-2-ol
    • Propanal
    • Butane

  17. Which product is formed from the oxidation of 2-methylpropan-2-ol?

    • 2-methylpropanal
    • 2-methylpropanoic acid
    • No oxidation occurs under normal conditions
    • 2-methylpropanone

  18. Explain why the oxidation of an alcohol with [O] gives water as a by-product.

    • Two hydrogens are removed from the alcohol and combine with the oxygen from the oxidant to form water
    • The oxidant contains hydrogen that forms water
    • Water is a product of the alkene only
    • Water is formed by ionic recombination of the alcohol

  19. Explain why a student can use a chemical test to show that an unknown compound is an aldehyde rather than a ketone.

    • Ketones are always oxidised more easily than aldehydes
    • Aldehydes contain a C-OH group that is inert to all reagents
    • Both aldehydes and ketones react equally with silver ions
    • Aldehydes contain a C=O at the end of the chain and are oxidised by Tollens' reagent, unlike ketones

  20. Explain why the alcohol oxidation to a ketone cannot continue to a carboxylic acid.

    • A ketone has a hydroxide group that blocks oxidation
    • A ketone is an alkene that resists oxidation
    • A ketone is ionic and does not react with oxidants
    • A ketone has no hydrogen attached to its carbonyl carbon, so it cannot be oxidised further without breaking the chain

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