Question

how we cn distinguish experimentally between an ALCOHOL and CARBOXYLIC ACID?

Answer 1

Alcohol and Carboxylic acids can be distinguished by litmus test and reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate.
Litmus Test: Alcohol will have no effect on the litmus paper. Carboxylic acids will change blue litmus to red
reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate:
alcohol has no reaction with NaHCO3
But in case of carboxylic acid:
NaHCO3+CH3COOH------>CH3COONa +CO2 +H2O