Algonquin College Health Program Assessment (AC-HPAT) Practice Exam

Which type of alcohol can be oxidized to form a ketone?

1. 1-butanol

2. 2-butanol

3. 3-butanol

4. Methanol

The correct answer is: 2-butanol

The reason 2-butanol can be oxidized to form a ketone lies in its molecular structure. 2-butanol is a secondary alcohol, which means that the hydroxyl (-OH) group is attached to a carbon that is also connected to two other carbons. When secondary alcohols are oxidized, they can lose two hydrogen atoms—one from the hydroxyl group and one from the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group—resulting in the formation of a ketone. The specific oxidation of 2-butanol leads to the production of butanone, a ketone. This process typically involves chemical reactions in which an oxidizing agent is used, facilitating the conversion of the alcohol to the ketone. In contrast, 1-butanol, which is a primary alcohol, can only be oxidized to an aldehyde and not to a ketone. Methanol, another primary alcohol, is similarly oxidized to formaldehyde. 3-butanol does not exist as a common alcohol structure; however, if hypothetically considered, any alcohol where the hydroxyl group is attached to a carbon with no adjacent carbon chains (tertiary alcohol) would not effectively oxidize to form a ketone due