Identify the major organic product for the following reaction:

Step-by-step solution

The given reactant is 2-butanone (ethyl methyl ketone), which has the molecular formula C ₄ H ₈ O . In the presence of concentrated H ₂ SO ₄ , aliphatic ketones undergo an acid-catalyzed aldol-type condensation. Specifically, three molecules of the ketone condense to form a substituted benzene ring with the elimination of three molecules of water. The overall reaction can be represented as: 3 C ₄ H ₈ O conc. H ₂ SO ₄ C ₁₂ H ₁₈ + 3 H ₂ O The product must contain exactly 3 4 = 12 carbon atoms. Let us check the number