2026 · Q23
Consider the following statements:
- 1Concentrated H2SO4 is used as a dehydrating agent in esterification reaction.
- 2The hydrophilic part of soap is oil and it dissolves in water.
- 3Nickel is used as a catalyst in converting vegetable oil into fat.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
General KnowledgeChemistry
- A1, 2, 3 and 4
- B1 and 2 only
- C2 and 3 only
- D1 and 3 only
Explanation
Concentrated sulphuric acid is a powerful dehydrating agent and is used to remove water in esterification (statement 1 true). In soap, the hydrophilic part is the ionic carboxylate head that dissolves in water, while the hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail dissolves in oil and grease, so statement 2 reverses the chemistry and is false. Nickel is the standard catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils into vanaspati/fat (statement 3 true). Hence statements 1 and 3 are correct.