Question

chemical test for distinguished between ethanol and methanol

Answer 1

Each group of students will need:

Test-tubes, 2Liquids or solutions in plastic dropping pipettes (one of each):Methanol (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, TOXIC)Ethanol (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE) or Industrial denatured alcohol, IDA (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, HARMFUL)Sodium hydroxide, 1 M (CORROSIVE)Iodine solution, 0.5 M (dissolved in potassium iodide solution 0.2 M). 

Procedure

a Practice (over a sink) producing single drops of ethanol from the pipette.

b Add 10 drops of methanol to one test-tube.

c Add 10 drops of ethanol to the other test-tube.

d Add 25 drops of iodine solution to each alcohol.

e Add 10 drops of sodium hydroxide solution to each alcohol.

f  Gently swirl the test-tubes a few times. The dark colour of the iodine should
start to fade.

g After 2 min carefully observe the two test-tubes. What differences do you notice?

Answer 2

by idoform test
ethanol gives idoform test
while methanol don't