How might you distinguish between a primary and secondary alcohol?

Warm and distill with acidified pottasium dichromate. Then test with tollens reagent. The acidified pottasium dichromate will have oxidised the primary alcohol to an aldehyde, which will form a silver mirror with Tollen's reagent. The secondary alcohol will have been oxidised to a ketone, which does not react with Tollen's reagent.

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Answered by Zoe B. Chemistry tutor

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