Reactivity of Aldehydes vs. Ketones

Easy Organic Chemistry Carbonyl Chemistry

In organic chemistry, the reactivity of carbonyl compounds varies significantly depending on the nature of the carbonyl group and the substituents attached to it. Ketones and aldehydes are two common types of carbonyl-containing compounds, both characterized by the presence of a carbonyl (C=O) functional group.
Consider the general reaction pathway where an aldehyde undergoes nucleophilic addition. In this type of mechanism, a nucleophile attacks the positively polarized carbon atom, leading to the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate.

Based on this information, which of the following statements best describes the difference in reactivity between aldehydes and ketones?

Aldehydes are generally less reactive than ketones due to steric hindrance.

Ketones can be oxidized to carboxylic acids, while aldehydes cannot.

Aldehydes are more reactive than ketones because they have one less alkyl group.

Ketones react faster with nucleophiles than aldehydes due to increased electron donating effects.

Hint

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