Dry distillation of a mixture of the calcium salts of acetic acid and propionic acid will yield

Options

A. methyl ethyl ketone
B. acetic acid
C. acetone
D. acetaldehyde

Explanation

To solve the problem of what products result from the dry distillation of a mixture of calcium salts of acetic acid and propionic acid, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Calcium Salts
The calcium salt of acetic acid is calcium acetate, which has the formula:
\[ \text{Calcium Acetate} = \text{Ca(CH}_3\text{COO)}_2 \]

The calcium salt of propionic acid is calcium propionate, which has the formula:
\[ \text{Calcium Propionate} = \text{Ca(C}_2\text{H}_5\text{COO)}_2 \]

### Step 2: Write the Reaction for Dry Distillation
During dry distillation, these calcium salts will decompose. The general reaction for the dry distillation of calcium salts involves the removal of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as a byproduct.

The reactions can be written as:
1. From calcium acetate:
\[ \text{Ca(CH}_3\text{COO)}_2 \rightarrow \text{Products} + \text{CaCO}_3 \]

2. From calcium propionate:
\[ \text{Ca(C}_2\text{H}_5\text{COO)}_2 \rightarrow \text{Products} + \text{CaCO}_3 \]

### Step 3: Identify the Products
From the dry distillation of calcium acetate, we can expect the formation of acetone (CH3COCH3) and from calcium propionate, we can expect the formation of methyl ethyl ketone (C2H5COCH3).

### Step 4: Combine the Results
When both reactions are combined, the products formed will be:
- Methyl Ethyl Ketone (C2H5COCH3)
- Acetone (CH3COCH3)

### Step 5: Conclusion
The main product of the dry distillation of a mixture of calcium salts of acetic acid and propionic acid will be Methyl Ethyl Ketone.

### Final Answer
The correct answer is **Methyl Ethyl Ketone** (option 1).

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