Question:

Why is a solution of potassium hydroxide used to absorb carbon dioxide evolved during the estimation of carbon present in an organic compound?

Updated On: Nov 17, 2023
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Solution and Explanation

Carbon dioxide is acidic in nature and potassium hydroxide is a strong base. Hence, carbon dioxide reacts with potassium hydroxide to form potassium carbonate and water as

\(2KOH+CO→K_2CO_3+H_2O\)

Thus, the mass of the U-tube containing KOH increases. This increase in the mass of U-tube gives the mass of CO2produced. From its mass, the percentage of carbon in the organic compound can be estimated.

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Top Questions on Organic Chemistry- Some Basic Principles and Techniques

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Concepts Used:

Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques - Reaction Mechanism

SN1 Reaction Mechanism:

SN1 reaction mechanism takes place by following three steps –

  • Formation of carbocation 
  • Attack of nucleophile 
  • Deprotonation 

SN2 Reaction Mechanism:

The SN2 reaction mechanism involves the nucleophilic substitution reaction of the leaving group (which generally consists of halide groups or other electron-withdrawing groups) with a nucleophile in a given organic compound.

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction Mechanism:

The mechanism of an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction contains three main components which are:

  1. A new sigma bond from C=C is formed during the reaction in the arene nucleophile.
  2. Due to the breaking of the C-H sigma bond, a proton is removed.
  3. The C=C bond is reformed and it restores the aromaticity of the compound.

Electrophilic Substitution Reaction Mechanism:

The electrophilic substitution reaction mechanism is composed of three steps, which will be discussed more below.

  • Electrophile Generation
  • Carbocation Formation
  • Proton Removal