Q.Acetaldehyde is warmed with Tollens' reagent, $\left[\text{Ag}(\text{NH}_3)_2\right]^+$. Describe the observation and write a balanced equation for the reaction, and state whether acetone gives the same result.

Tollens' reagent, $\left[\text{Ag}(\text{NH}_3)_2\right]^+$, oxidises the readily-abstractable hydrogen on acetaldehyde's carbonyl carbon, converting the aldehyde to the ammonium salt of acetate while the silver(I) complex is itself reduced all the way to metallic silver, $\text{Ag}(0)$, which deposits as a bright, adherent film -- the silver mirror -- on the clean glass surface of the test tube: $\text{CH}_3\text{CHO} + 2\left[\text{Ag}(\text{NH}_3)_2\right]^+ + 3\text{OH}^- \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{COO}^- + 2\text{Ag}\!\downarrow + 4\text{NH}_3 + 2\text{H}_2\text{O}$. Acetone's carbonyl carbon has no hydrogen of its own (both remaining bonds go to carbon), s …

Check whether the carbonyl carbon bears a hydrogen (aldehydes do, ketones do not); only a carbon-hydrogen bond at t …

Predicting a silver mirror for acetone as well -- Tollens' reagent is MILD and specific to aldehydes; a ketone's carbonyl carbon has no ab …