What is the result of oxidizing an aldehyde?

When an aldehyde undergoes oxidation, the product that is formed is a carboxylic acid. This process involves the conversion of the carbonyl group (-CHO) in the aldehyde to a carboxyl group (-COOH), effectively increasing the oxidation state of the carbon atom. Aldehydes contain a hydrogen atom bonded to the carbonyl carbon, while carboxylic acids contain a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to the carbonyl carbon, resulting in a higher overall oxidation state.

In essence, the aldehyde is oxidized further than a ketone because ketones do not have a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon, which allows aldehydes to be more easily oxidized to the fully oxidized carboxylic acid. Therefore, the correct transformation in this scenario is from an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid upon oxidation.