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

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Solution

Alcohols can be distinguished from carboxylic acid using the sodium carbonate $(N a_{2} C O_{3})$ or sodium bicarbonate $(N a H C O_{3})$ test. Alcohols do not react with sodium carbonate or bicarbonate, whereas acid reacts with them to release carbon dioxide.

$2 R C O O H + N a_{2} C O_{3} \to 2 R C O O N a + C O_{2} ↑ + H_{2} O$

$R C O O H + N a H C O_{3} \to R C O O N a + C O_{2} ↑ + H_{2} O$

$A l c o h o l + N a_{2} C O_{3} \to No reaction$

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