CAIE A Level Chemistry 9701 · Carboxylic acids and derivatives
A student plans to prepare propanoic acid. They consider two possible synthetic routes.
Route 1: oxidation of propan-1-ol. Route 2: hydrolysis of propanenitrile.
Compare these two routes for the preparation of propanoic acid. Include in your answer the reagents, conditions, and any differences in the overall reaction or by-products.
5 marks, so the mark scheme is looking for about 5 separate creditworthy points. Making the same point twice in different words earns it once.
Compare means: Give similarities or differences between two things, and say which side each point belongs to. Write each point as a pair, for example: A is X, whereas B is Y. Two separate descriptions rarely earn the marks.
Written by Markquill to follow the Cambridge International syllabus. Markquill is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge International.