OXIDATION PRODUCTS OF ALCOHOLS 53 



EXPERIMENT STUDY XIII 



Oxalic Acid (Poison) 



(i) (a) Examine oxalic acid as to its nature and solubility in water. 

 (b) Add a little oxalic acid to limewater and note precipitate of cal- 

 cium oxalate, (c) Fit up a test tube for generating gas and collect- 

 ing over water. Heat 5 g. of oxalic acid and sulphuric acid in the test 

 tube and collect two small bottles or tubes of the gas. To one in- 

 troduce by means of a bent tube some NaOH. What gas is absorbed ? 

 Now remove tube and test remainder with lighted match. What gas 



is proven here ? 



heat 

 COOH -COOH -> CO2 + CO -h H2O 



Oxalic add 



(2) Dissolve a few crystals of oxalic acid in water. To this solution 

 of oxalic acid add drop by drop a solution of potassium permanganate, 

 KMn04, to which two or three drops of sulphuric acid have been 

 added. The loss of color shows that the permanganate is reduced 

 by the oxalic acid. The oxalic acid is oxidized, yielding CO2 + H2O. 

 Compare with the preceding reaction and with Exp. XI, 3. 



Succinic Acid 



Succinic acid occurs naturally in amber. Derivatives of it 

 are important in animal physiology and also as tartaric and 

 malic acids. Its formula is 



CH2COOH 



I 

 CH2COOH 



It is the symmetrical dicarboxy derivative of butane. 



