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Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids appeared 46 times across 3 years — 5.4% of Chemistry. This question is from Reactions of Carbonyl Compounds.

Year 2026 2025 2024 Total
Questions 14 21 11 46

Both acetaldehyde and acetone (individually) undergo which of the following reactions? A. Iodoform Reaction B. Cannizaro Reaction C. Aldol condensation D. Pollen's Test E. Clemmensen Reduction Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Solution & Explanation

Core Logic

Let us check each option pathway:

  • A. Iodoform Reaction: Positive for both because both contain the CH₃-C=O methyl ketone fragment.
  • B. Cannizaro Reaction: Negative for both because both contain α-hydrogens.
  • C. Aldol Condensation: Positive for both because they have α-hydrogens available for enolization.
  • D. Pollen's Test (Tollen's Test): Positive only for acetaldehyde (aldehyde); negative for acetone (ketone).
  • E. Clemmensen Reduction: Positive for both as they contain reducible carbonyl groups.
  • Thus, both react via A, C, and E.

Pattern Recognition

Sees: Functional comparison of Acetaldehyde and Acetone. Shortcut: Ketones do not respond to Tollen's test, which instantly eliminates choices featuring statement D.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Reference Study Guides

More Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids Previous-Year Questions — Page 7

Q45 jee_main_2025_24_jan_morning Chemical Reactions of Ketones
The product (A) formed in the following reaction sequence is : C H _ 3 - C ≡ C H [ (i i) H _ 2 / N i ](i) H g ^ 2 +, H _ 2 S O _ 4 (A)
  • A. CH₃-C(NH₂)(CH₃)-CH₂-OH
  • B. CH₃-C(OH)(CH₃)-CH₂-NH₂
  • C. CH₃-CH₂-CH(OH)-CH₂-OH
  • D. CH₃-CH(OH)-CH(CH₃)-NH₂

Solution

Core Logic

Breaking down the multi-step reaction path sequence:

  • Hydration of propyne using Kucherov's trigger condition (Hg²⁺, H₂SO₄) adds water across the triple bond via Markovnikov's rule. The intermediate enol undergoes tautomerization to yield acetone (CH₃-CO-CH₃).
  • Reacting acetone with HCN drives nucleophilic addition at the carbonyl carbon, forming a cyanohydrin intermediate: CH₃-C(OH)(CH₃)-CN.
  • Introducing a reducing agent (H₂/Ni) selectively converts the nitrile group (-CN) into a primary amine side chain (-CH₂-NH₂).
  • The final synthesized structure is: CH₃-C(OH)(CH₃)-CH₂-NH₂.

    Chemical Reactions of Ketones step sequence product chart for Q45
    Chemical Reactions of Ketones step sequence product chart for Q45

Pattern Recognition

Alkyne hydration produces a ketone carbonyl system. Cyanohydrin synthesis introduces a carbon coordinate, which subsequently reduces to a primary aliphatic amine functional group.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Q48 jee_main_2025_24_jan_morning Reactions of Carboxylic Acids
Xg of benzoic acid on reaction with aq. NaHCO₃ release CO₂ that occupied 11.2 L volume at STP. X is ______ g.
Numerical Answer. Answer: 61 to 61

Solution

Related Formula
Moles of gas at STP = V in Liters22.4 L/mol
Core Logic

The balanced acid-base reaction equation is:

C₆H₅COOH + NaHCO₃ arrow C₆H₅COO⁻Na⁺ + H₂O + CO₂

This stoichiometry shows a 1:1 molar ratio between benzoic acid and the released carbon dioxide gas.

Calculate the total moles of evolved CO₂ gas at standard conditions:

moles of CO₂ = 11.2 L22.4 L mol⁻¹ = 0.5 moles

Thus, the reaction consumed exactly 0.5 moles of benzoic acid (C₆H₅COOH, molecular weight = 122 g/mol):

mass consumed (X) = 0.5 × 122 = 61 grams
Pattern Recognition

Carboxylic acids react with sodium bicarbonate in a straightforward 1:1 molar ratio, releasing exactly 1 mole of carbon dioxide gas per mole of acid group.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Q37 jee_main_2025_28_jan_evening Oxidation of Alkylbenzenes
The total number of compounds from below when treated with hot KMnO₄ giving benzoic acid is:
Alkylbenzene structures for Q37 - JEE Main 2025
The image lists seven distinct aromatic side-chain hydrocarbon structures to assess for side-chain oxidation.
  • A. 3
  • B. 4
  • C. 6
  • D. 5

Solution

Related Formula

Side-chain oxidation criteria:

Ar-CH(R)₂ hot KMnO₄ Ar-COOH

Requires the presence of at least one benzylic hydrogen atom on the aromatic side chain structure.

Core Logic

Alkyl side chains on a benzene ring are oxidized entirely down to a carboxylic acid group (benzoic acid) by strong oxidizing agents like hot alkaline KMnO₄, provided the benzylic carbon contains at least one hydrogen atom.

Evaluating the structures from the diagram:

  • Toluene (contains 3 benzylic H) arrow Yields benzoic acid
  • Ethylbenzene (contains 2 benzylic H) arrow Yields benzoic acid
  • Isopropylbenzene / Cumene (contains 1 benzylic H) arrow Yields benzoic acid
  • tert-Butylbenzene (contains 0 benzylic H) arrow Resists oxidation
  • Isobutylbenzene (contains 2 benzylic H) arrow Yields benzoic acid
  • 2-Phenylpropan-2-ol (contains 0 benzylic H, tertiary alcohol center) arrow Resists oxidation
  • n-Propylbenzene (contains 2 benzylic H) arrow Yields benzoic acid
  • The last biphenyl derivative undergoes complex disruption or ring cleavages and does not cleanly yield simple benzoic acid under standard monocyclic oxidation definitions.
Step 1: Counting Valid Targets

The compounds that undergo oxidation to form benzoic acid are toluene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, isobutylbenzene, and n-propylbenzene.

Total count = 5 compounds.

Structural evaluation summary for side-chain oxidation targets
The image lists seven distinct aromatic side-chain hydrocarbon structures to assess for side-chain oxidation.

Pattern Recognition

Look immediately at the benzylic carbon (the carbon bonded directly to the ring). If it is a quaternary center (like in tert-butylbenzene) or lacks a hydrogen atom entirely, mark it as unreactive to hot KMnO₄ side-chain oxidation.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Q jee_main_2025_29_jan_morning Clemmensen Reduction
The product (P) formed in the following reaction is:
Clemmensen Reduction diagram for Q41 - JEE Main 2025 Morning
The structural flowchart indicates a multi-functional molecule treated with Zn-Hg/HCl.
  • A.
  • B.
  • C.
  • D.

Solution

Related Formula
R-CO-R' [HCl]Zn-Hg R-CH₂-R'
Core Logic

The provided reaction relies on classic Clemmensen Reduction reagent configurations (Zn-Hg / HCl). This reagent explicitly selective targets ketone/aldehyde carbonyl centers (>C=O) and converts them cleanly into methylene units (-CH₂-). Any free aliphatic alcohol functionalities (-OH) located on the ring are preserved under these reductive conditions. Thus, the ketone group on the ring is cleanly converted to -CH₂-, yielding option (3):

Clemmensen Reduction solution diagram for Q41 - JEE Main 2025 Morning
The structural flowchart indicates a multi-functional molecule treated with Zn-Hg/HCl.

Pattern Recognition

Clemmensen routes deoxygenate carbonyl clusters selectively without compromising adjacent standalone cyclic alcohol structural components.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

Q jee_main_2025_29_jan_morning Chemical Reactions of Carbonyl Compounds
Based on the reaction sequence:
Organic synthesis reaction sequence diagram for Q50 - JEE Main 2025 Morning
A structural flow charts the transformation of a cyclic dialcohol into final product S.
0.1 mole of compound 'S' will weigh ________ g. (Given molar mass in g mol⁻¹ C:12, H:1, O:16)
Numerical Answer. Answer: 13 to 13

Solution

Related Formula
Mass = Moles · Molar Mass
Core Logic

Let us trace the reaction scheme row-by-row:

Organic synthesis intermediate layout mapping
A structural flow charts the transformation of a cyclic dialcohol into final product S.

  • Reactant: 2-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentan-1-ol.
  • Step 1: Excess CrO₃ (Jones oxidation) oxidizes the secondary alcohol to a ketone and the primary alcohol to a carboxylic acid arrow Product P.
  • Step 2: Reaction with 1 mole of glycol protects the ketone selectively as a cyclic ketal arrow Product Q.
  • Step 3: Treatment with CH₃MgI targets the free carboxylic acid (or ester equivalent) to form a methyl ketone after workup arrow Product R.
  • Step 4: NaBH₄ reduces the methyl ketone to a secondary alcohol, and acid workup deprotects the ketal back to the original ketone arrow Compound S.
  • Chemical structural formula of S: 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)cyclopentan-1-one (C₇H₁₂O₂).

    Molar mass of S (C₇H₁₂O₂):

M = (7 · 12) + (12 · 1) + (2 · 16) = 84 + 12 + 32 = 130 ~g/mol Mass of 0.1 mole = 0.1 · 130 = 13 ~g
Pattern Recognition

Ketal groups serve as stable protective masks that shield ketones, allowing selective organometallic reactions to take place elsewhere on the molecule.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids

More Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids Questions — jee_main_2025_28_jan_morning

Practice all Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids previous-year questions →

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