Question

how would you distinguish experimentally between an alcohol and carboxylic acid

Answer 1

the alcohol and carboxylic acid can be distinguished by litmus test and even by the reaction of both of NaHCO3

1) litmus test: the alcohol will have no effect on the litmus paper whereas the carboxylic acid will change the blue litmus into red

and in reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate the alcohol will have no reaction whereas the carboxylic acid will react with the sodium hydrogen carbonate to give CH3COONa, co2 and water . this reaction shows that the carbondioxide turns the lime water milky.

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Answer 2

Answer:

• On reaction with Sodium Carbonate ,Carboxylic acids produces carbon dioxide gas which turns lime water milk whereas alcohols do not give this reaction.
• This experiment can be used to distinguish alcohol and carboxylic acid.

Reaction of Carboxylic acid with sodium carbonate:

2CH3COOH + Na2CO3 → 2CH3COONa + H2O + CO2