Given below are two statements: Statement I : Cross aldol condensation between two different aldehydes will always produce four different products. Statement II : When semicarbazide reacts with a mixture of benzaldehyde and acetophenone under optimum pH, it forms a condensation product with acetophenone only. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below

Step-by-step solution

Statement I: Cross aldol condensation between two different aldehydes produces four products only if both aldehydes have -hydrogen atoms. If one aldehyde lacks -hydrogen (e.g., benzaldehyde and acetaldehyde), only two products are typically formed (one self and one cross). If neither has -hydrogen, no aldol condensation occurs. Thus, it does not 'always' produce four products. Statement I is false. Statement II: Benzaldehyde is an aldehyde and acetophenone is a ketone. Aldehydes are generally more reactive than ket