Banana oil, 3-methylbutyl ethanoate, CH₃COOCH₂CH(CH₃)₂, is a sweet smelling liquid that gives bananas their characteristic odour - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2011 - Paper 1
Question 7
Banana oil, 3-methylbutyl ethanoate, CH₃COOCH₂CH(CH₃)₂, is a sweet smelling liquid that gives bananas their characteristic odour.
a. A chemist working for Go Banana... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Banana oil, 3-methylbutyl ethanoate, CH₃COOCH₂CH(CH₃)₂, is a sweet smelling liquid that gives bananas their characteristic odour - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 7 - 2011 - Paper 1
Step 1
i. Identify reagent A.
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Answer
Reagent A is sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), which acts as a catalyst in this reaction.
Step 2
ii. Compound B is an alcohol.
Draw a structure of compound B.
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Answer
The structure of compound B (3-methylbutan-1-ol) can be illustrated as follows:
CH₃
|
CH₃-CH-CH₂-OH
|
CH₂
This structure shows a hydroxyl (-OH) group connected to the first carbon in the chain.
Step 3
iii. Give the systematic name of compound B.
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The systematic name of compound B is 3-methylbutan-1-ol.
Step 4
iv. Give the systematic name of compound C.
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The systematic name of compound C is ethanoic acid (acetic acid).
Step 5
v. Identify reagent D.
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Reagent D is potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇), which is used in oxidation reactions.
Step 6
vi. Which reaction is an oxidation reaction? Circle the correct answer below.
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The correct answer is reaction II, as it involves the oxidation of compound B to form compound C.
Step 7
b. Describe the principles of fraction distillation.
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Answer
Fractional distillation operates on the principle of separating components in a mixture based on their boiling points. As the mixture is heated, the component with the lowest boiling point vaporizes first and is collected, while the remaining components, which have higher boiling points, remain in the distillation flask. This process creates a series of evaporations and condensations, resulting in the effective separation of components based on their volatilities.
Step 8
c. Explain how the evidence provided by these spectra supports the chemist’s claim.
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The IR spectra show distinct absorption peaks that indicate the presence of functional groups in each compound. A complete separation would result in the spectrum of the distilled banana oil lacking any peaks corresponding to unreacted starting materials or by-products present in compound B's spectrum. This confirms that the distillation effectively isolated banana oil, supporting the chemist’s claim about successful separation.
