Concept:Ketones strongly resist oxidation. However, under drastic conditions with strong oxidizing agents, the carbon-carbon bond adjacent to the carbonyl group ruptures, producing a mixture of smaller carboxylic acids.
Formula:$$ \text{CH}_3\text{-CO-CH}_3 \xrightarrow{\text{Strong [O]}} \text{CH}_3\text{COOH} + \text{HCOOH} $$
Solution:- Acetone (propanone) has 3 carbon atoms.
- Vigorous oxidation cleaves the molecule into a 2-carbon fragment and a 1-carbon fragment.
- The 2-carbon fragment forms ethanoic acid (acetic acid).
- The 1-carbon fragment forms formic acid, which under strong oxidative conditions frequently further degrades to \( \text{CO}_2 \) and \( \text{H}_2\text{O} \). Thus, ethanoic acid is the primary stable product.
Why other options are incorrect:Propanoic acid (3 carbons) cannot be formed because oxidation of a ketone inherently demands carbon-carbon bond cleavage, reducing the chain length.
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