The reaction of acetaldehyde with Tollen's reagent gives

Options

A. silver acetate
B. methyl alcohol
C. fomaldehyde
D. acetic acid

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the reaction of acetaldehyde with Tollen's reagent, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand Tollen's Reagent
Tollen's reagent is a solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3) in ammonia (NH3) and is commonly represented as Ag(NH3)2^+. It acts as an oxidizing agent and is used to test for aldehydes.

**Hint:** Tollen's reagent is specifically used to identify aldehydes due to its oxidizing properties.

### Step 2: Identify the Reactant
The reactant in this case is acetaldehyde (CH3CHO). It is a simple aldehyde.

**Hint:** Remember that aldehydes have the functional group -CHO, which is key for their reactivity with Tollen's reagent.

### Step 3: Reaction Mechanism
When acetaldehyde reacts with Tollen's reagent, the aldehyde is oxidized to a carboxylic acid. The silver ion (Ag^+) in Tollen's reagent is reduced to metallic silver (Ag), which can be observed as a silver mirror on the surface of the reaction vessel.

**Hint:** The oxidation of aldehydes typically leads to the formation of carboxylic acids.

### Step 4: Determine the Product
The oxidation of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) leads to the formation of acetic acid (CH3COOH). Therefore, the product of the reaction is acetic acid.

**Hint:** The general reaction for aldehyde oxidation is:
\[ \text{RCHO} + \text{[O]} \rightarrow \text{RCOOH} \]

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the above steps, the reaction of acetaldehyde with Tollen's reagent gives acetic acid.

**Final Answer:** Acetic acid (Option D).