When ethanol is converted to ethanoic acid by using acidified potassium dichromate, the ethanol is

Options

A. reduced and the colour changes from orange to green
B. reduced and the colour changes from yellow to green
C. oxidised and the colour changes from orange to yellow
D. oxidised and the colour changes from orange to green

Answer

To determine the correct statement regarding ethanol when it is converted to ethanoic acid using acidified potassium dichromate, we can analyze the reaction step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants and Products**:
- The reactant is ethanol (C2H5OH).
- The product is ethanoic acid (CH3COOH).
- The oxidizing agent used is acidified potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7 in dilute H2SO4).

2. **Understand the Reaction**:
- Ethanol undergoes oxidation to form ethanoic acid.
- The reaction can be summarized as:
\[ \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} \xrightarrow{\text{K}_2\text{Cr}_2\text{O}_7/\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4} \text{CH}_3\text{COOH} \]

3. **Role of Acidified Potassium Dichromate**:
- Acidified potassium dichromate acts as a strong oxidizing agent.
- It provides nascent oxygen which facilitates the oxidation of ethanol to ethanoic acid.

4. **Intermediate Formation**:
- During the oxidation process, ethanol first converts to acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) before being further oxidized to ethanoic acid.
- The overall reaction can be viewed as:
\[ \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} \xrightarrow{\text{Oxidation}} \text{CH}_3\text{CHO} \xrightarrow{\text{Oxidation}} \text{CH}_3\text{COOH} \]

5. **Color Change Observation**:
- The color of the solution changes from orange (due to potassium dichromate) to green (due to chromium sulfate) as the dichromate ions are reduced during the reaction.

6. **Conclusion**:
- The correct statement about ethanol in this reaction is that it is being oxidized to ethanoic acid.

### Final Answer:
When ethanol is converted to ethanoic acid by using acidified potassium dichromate, the ethanol is oxidized.