Question

How would you distinguish experimentally between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid?

Answer 1

1. Dip a strip of blue litmus into both alcohol and carboxylic acid placed in separate glass tubes. The litmus will turn red in the tube with carboxylic acid, while there will be no color change in the tube with alcohol.
2. Add a small amount of solid sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) to both tubes. You will observe rapid effervescence and bubbling due to the release of CO₂ in the tube with carboxylic acid, whereas no reaction will occur in the tube with alcohol.