Question

In an experiment to study the properties of acetic acid, a student takes about 2ml of acetic acid in a dry test tube. He adds about 2ml of water to it and shakes the test tube well. He is likely to observe that:
A.The acetic acid dissolves readily in water
B.The solution becomes light orange
C.Water floats over the surface of acetic acid
D.Acetic acid floats over the surface of water

Answer 1

Acetic acid is an organic compound with general formula $C{H_3}COOH$ .Basically it is a carboxylic acid that consists of a methyl group that is attached to a carboxyl functional group. Its IUPAC name is ethanoic acid and its formula is also written as ${C_2}{H_4}{O_2}$ .

Complete step by step answer:
So, basically acetic acid also known as ethanoic acid is an organic compound with chemical formula $C{H_3}COOH$ .Further, this compound is produced industrially via carbonylation of methanol. In this process, methyl iodide intermediate is generated from the reaction between methanol and hydrogen iodide and this intermediate is further reacted with carbon monoxide and the resulting compound is then treated with water and acetic acid is formed. The equations are given below:
$C{H_3}OH + HI \to C{H_3}I + {H_2}O$
$C{H_3}I + CO \to C{H_3}COI$
$C{H_3}COI + {H_2}O \to C{H_3}COOH$
Now, let’s talk about the solubility of acetic acid. In its liquid state, it readily dissolves in water and is a polar and protic solvent. We can also say that a mixture of acetic acid and water is similar to a mixture of ethanol and water. It further forms miscible mixtures with hexane, chloroform and several oils but it does not form miscible mixtures with long chain alkanes.
So, when we dissolve acetic acid in a certain amount of water, then it will readily dissolve due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.

Hence, option A is correct.

Note:
Ethanoic acid is a very important compound in our day to day life. It is used as an antiseptic due to its antibacterial properties, in manufacture of rubber and various perfumes. Moreover, medically, it has been employed to treat cancer by giving direct injection into the tumor.