An organic compound 'A' is an essential constituent of wine and beer. Oxidation of 'A' yields and organic acid 'B' which is present in vinegar. Name the compounds 'A' and 'B' and write their structural formulae. What happens when 'A' and 'B' react in the presence of an acid catalyst? Write the chemical equation for the reaction.

Explanation

The available information sugests that the compound 'A' is ethanol and the compound 'B' formed by the oxidation of 'A' is ethanoic acid. Their structural formulae are:
`underset("Ethanol (A)")(H-underset(H)underset(|)overset(H)overset(|)(C)-underset(H)underset(|)overset(H)overset(|)(C)-OH)" "underset("Ethanoic acid (B)")(H-underset(H)underset(|)overset(H)overset(|)(C)-overset(O)overset(||)(C)-O-H)`
when 'A' and 'B' react in the presence of an acid like conc. `H_(2)SO_(4)`, the compound is ethyl ethanoate (ester) with a pleasant smell.