When 1-pentanol is oxidized in the presence of an oxidizing agent, such as the potassium dichromate in dilute sulfuric acid, it gives 1-pentanal. The formed aldehyde has to be distilled off from the reaction mixture to avoid further oxidation into carboxylic acid. In this reaction, the group is replaced by the group.

What happens when 1-pentanol is oxidized?

It only converts primary alcohols to aldehydes, and secondary alcohols to ketones. 1-pentanol is a primary alcohol so it will be converted to the aldehyde pentanal.

Is 1-pentanol primary secondary or tertiary?

1-pentanol is a primary alcohol. The carbon (C) atom to which the -OH group is attached forms a bond with only one alkyl group which implies that the compound is a primary alcohol.