Final answer:
The most oxidized compound amongst the given choices is CH3CH2COOH, a carboxylic acid, due to its functional group having both a carbonyl (C=O) and an OH group attached to the same carbon atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
To identify the most oxidized compound among the given choices, we need to consider the oxidation state of the carbon atoms in each of these organic molecules. The oxidation level increases as we go from alcohols to aldehydes to carboxylic acids due to an increasing number of bonds to more electronegative elements (like oxygen) and a decrease in the number of bonds to hydrogen. Alcohols have the general structure -CHOH, aldehydes have the structure CHO (with a double bond to oxygen), and carboxylic acids have a carbonyl (C=O) and an OH group attached to the same carbon atom.
The given compounds are:
- CH3CH2CHO - an aldehyde
- CH3CH2CH3 - an alkane
- CH3CH2CH2OH - an alcohol
- CH3CH2OCH3 - an ether
- CH3CH2COOH - a carboxylic acid
In terms of oxidation levels, carboxylic acids are more oxidized than aldehydes, which in turn are more oxidized than alcohols, alkanes, and ethers. Therefore, CH3CH2COOH, which is a carboxylic acid, is the most oxidized compound in the list provided.