Question

$\bold\pink{Question:-}$ What happens when ethanol is heated with acidified potassium dichromate solution? Write the chemical equation.

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Answer 1

Acidified potassium dichromate is good oxidising agent. When ethyl alcohol is oxidised by acidified potassium dichromate,oxidation takes place to give ethanoic acid. ... In this reaction, ethanol is oxidized to acid and orange red dichromate —Cr( +6) is reduced to green Cr+3.

As Potassium Dichromate is a powerful oxidising agent, the alcohol will be oxidised, first to the aldehyde (acetaldehyde in this case) and then to the carboxylic acid (acetic acid), The orange dichromate ion in turn is reduced to a green Cr3+ salt in solution.

The reaction was used in old-style breathalyser test kits to detect the presence of alcohol in the breath of suspected drink-drivers - if sufficient ethanol was present, the dichromate crystals change from orange to green as the alcohol was oxidised

Answer 2

Acidified potassium dichromate is good oxidising agent. When ethyl alcohol is oxidised by acidified potassium dichromate,oxidation takes place to give ethanoic acid. ... In this reaction, ethanol is oxidized to acid and orange red dichromate —Cr( +6) is reduced to green Cr+3.