Glucose fermentation yields ethanol, oxidized to ethanoic acid

Steps:

• Anaerobic fermentation of glucose with yeast produces ethanol as the main organic product (X).
• Fractional distillation isolates pure ethanol (X) from the fermentation mixture.
• Acidified potassium manganate(VII) oxidizes primary alcohol ethanol to carboxylic acid ethanoic acid (Y).

Why A is correct:

• Primary alcohols like ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) oxidize to carboxylic acids (CH₃COOH) with acidified KMnO₄ under reflux, per standard organic oxidation rules.

Why the others are wrong:

• B: Ethanol is the intermediate X, not the final oxidized product Y.
• C: Propanoic acid requires a three-carbon chain, but glucose fermentation yields two-carbon ethanol.
• D: Propene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon, unrelated to alcohol oxidation.

Final answer: A