Which acid can be formed from ethanol?

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Multiple Choice

Which acid can be formed from ethanol?

Explanation:
Oxidation of a primary alcohol like ethanol proceeds to a carboxylic acid with the same two-carbon skeleton. Ethanol is first oxidized to acetaldehyde, then further oxidized to acetic acid (ethanoic acid). This is the acid produced in vinegar by acetic acid bacteria. The other acids differ in carbon count—formic acid has one carbon, propionic has three, and butanoic has four—so they don’t arise from simple oxidation of ethanol.

Oxidation of a primary alcohol like ethanol proceeds to a carboxylic acid with the same two-carbon skeleton. Ethanol is first oxidized to acetaldehyde, then further oxidized to acetic acid (ethanoic acid). This is the acid produced in vinegar by acetic acid bacteria. The other acids differ in carbon count—formic acid has one carbon, propionic has three, and butanoic has four—so they don’t arise from simple oxidation of ethanol.

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