Question

how would you distinguish experimintally between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid​

Answer 1

Answer:

Reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate – Alcohol has no reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) but in the case of Carboxylic acid it reacts with NaHCO3 which gives CH3COONa, CO2 and H2O. The reaction is evident as the carbon dioxide will turn the lime water milky.

Answer 2

We can distinguish between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid:

1. Litmus test

Take 2 ml of alcohol and carboxylic acid in a test tube, Put 1 drop of blue litmus in each test tube, the liquid which shows no effect is alcohol whereas the liquid which turns red is a carboxylic acid.

2. Sodium Bicarbonate test

Take a small amount of each compound in a test tube and add to it aqueous solution of NaHCO

3

. The compound which produces brisk effervescence due to the evolution of CO

2

must be a carboxylic acid whereas which shows no effect is alcohol.