Lesson 17C.1

17C.1 Carboxylic acids: structure and preparation Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Chemistry, Unit 17

20 questions

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Lesson 17C.1, Carboxylic acids: structure and preparation: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Chemistry (9CH0), Unit 17: Organic Chemistry II, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which functional group identifies a carboxylic acid?

    • -COO-, an ester group bonded to two carbon atoms
    • -COOH, a carbonyl group bonded to a hydroxyl group
    • -CHO, a carbonyl group bonded to a hydrogen atom
    • -CO-, a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms

  2. Why do carboxylic acids have higher boiling temperatures than alcohols of similar molar mass?

    • They have a larger number of carbon atoms per molecule
    • They contain more covalent bonds, which are stronger than hydrogen bonds
    • They form hydrogen-bonded dimers, which requires more energy to separate
    • They are ionic compounds with strong electrostatic forces

  3. Which reagent converts a primary alcohol into a carboxylic acid in one step by heating under reflux?

    • Concentrated sulfuric acid at room temperature
    • Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate in dry ether
    • Phosphorus(V) chloride
    • Acidified potassium dichromate(VI)

  4. What is produced when a nitrile is hydrolysed by heating with dilute acid?

    • A carboxylic acid and an ammonium salt
    • An alcohol and carbon dioxide, released as the nitrile loses carbon
    • A primary amine and water, formed by reduction of the nitrile group
    • An ester and water, formed by condensation of the nitrile group

  5. Which reaction forms a sodium salt from a carboxylic acid?

    • Reaction with phosphorus(V) chloride, giving an acyl chloride
    • Reaction with lithium tetrahydridoaluminate, giving a primary alcohol
    • Reaction with concentrated sulfuric acid, giving an alkene
    • Reaction with sodium hydroxide solution, giving the sodium carboxylate and water

  6. What is the product when a carboxylic acid is reduced by lithium tetrahydridoaluminate?

    • A ketone with one fewer carbon atom
    • A primary alcohol
    • A secondary alcohol with one more carbon atom
    • An aldehyde with the same number of carbon atoms

  7. Carboxylic acids react with phosphorus(V) chloride. What is the organic product?

    • A nitrile
    • An acyl chloride
    • An alkene
    • A primary alcohol

  8. Which reagents are used to make an ester from a carboxylic acid?

    • An alcohol with a concentrated acid catalyst, heated under reflux
    • Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate in dry ether
    • An alcohol with sodium hydroxide at room temperature
    • Phosphorus(V) chloride in cold conditions

  9. Why is the esterification of a carboxylic acid with an alcohol described as reversible?

    • The water formed can hydrolyse the ester back to the acid and alcohol
    • The alcohol is consumed completely and cannot be regenerated
    • The catalyst is used up during the reaction and must be replaced
    • The ester can react with the acid to form a salt and water

  10. What is a suitable method for preparing ethanoic acid from ethanol?

    • Oxidation with acidified dichromate(VI) under reflux
    • Hydrolysis of a nitrile with sodium hydroxide
    • Reduction with lithium tetrahydridoaluminate in dry ether
    • Heating with sulfuric acid to form ethene

  11. Which functional group identifies an ester?

    • -CN, a carbon bonded to nitrogen by a triple bond at the end of the chain
    • -OH, a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom that is also part of a carbonyl
    • -CO-, with a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms in a chain or ring structure
    • -COO-, with a carbonyl group bonded to an oxygen that is bonded to a carbon atom

  12. Why do carboxylic acids have lower solubility in water as the carbon chain length increases?

    • The molecules become larger, so they cannot form any hydrogen bonds with the water molecules in solution
    • The carboxyl group becomes less polar as the chain gets longer, so the acid no longer dissolves in water
    • The acid ionises less in water as the chain gets longer, reducing the number of ions present in solution
    • The hydrophobic alkyl part becomes larger, outweighing the hydrogen bonding of the carboxyl group

  13. A carboxylic acid is made by hydrolysing a nitrile. Which molecule is the starting material?

    • A compound with a -NH2 group, such as ethylamine
    • A compound with a -CHO group, such as ethanal
    • A compound with a -COCl group, such as ethanoyl chloride
    • A compound with a -CN group, such as ethanenitrile

  14. What is the product when ethanoic acid reacts with sodium carbonate?

    • Ethyl ethanoate and water
    • Sodium ethanoate, water and carbon dioxide
    • Ethanol and sodium hydrogencarbonate
    • Sodium ethanoate and hydrogen gas

  15. Why is lithium tetrahydridoaluminate needed in dry ether for reducing a carboxylic acid?

    • Dry ether is needed to convert the acid into an acyl chloride
    • It reacts violently with water, so the reaction must exclude water to work
    • It is only soluble in dry ether, which is needed to dissolve the acid
    • The reaction needs water to be removed to form an ester

  16. Which product forms from the reaction of ethanoic acid with ethanol under acid catalysis?

    • Ethyl ethanoate and water
    • Ethanal and hydrogen gas
    • Ethanol and ethanoate ions
    • Ethene and carbon dioxide

  17. A student adds sodium hydrogencarbonate to a carboxylic acid and sees gas bubbles. What does this show?

    • The acid has reduced the hydrogencarbonate to hydrogen
    • The acid is strong enough to release carbon dioxide from hydrogencarbonate
    • The acid is a base and has accepted protons from the solution
    • The acid has formed a precipitate of sodium carbonate

  18. What is the molecular formula of the ester formed from methanoic acid and propan-1-ol?

    • C4H10O2
    • C4H8O2
    • C3H6O2
    • C3H8O2

  19. What is the name of the ester formed from ethanoic acid and ethanol?

    • Ethanol ethanoate
    • Methyl propanoate
    • Ethyl ethanoate
    • Ethyl ethanoic acid

  20. Which reagent oxidises an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid?

    • Acidified potassium dichromate(VI) with warming
    • Sodium hydroxide solution with heating
    • Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate in dry ether
    • Phosphorus(V) chloride at room temperature

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