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Question 7
How can ethanol and ethanoic acid be differentiated on the basis of their physical and chemical properties?

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Solution

Ethanol and ethanoic acid be differentiated on the basis of their following properties:
  • Ethanol is liquid at room temperature with a pleasant smell. Ethanoic acid has a melting point of 17C. Since the melting point is below the room temperature, ethanoic acid freezes during winter and it has a smell similar to vinegar.
  • Ethanol does not react with metal carbonates while ethanoic acid reacts with metal carbonates to form salt, water and carbon dioxide.
    For example:
    2CH3COOH+Na2CO32CH3COONa+CO2+H2O
  • Ethanol does not react with NaOH while ethanoic acid reacts with NaOH to form sodium ethanoate and water. For example,
    CH3COOH+NaOHCH3COONa+H2O
  • Ethanol is oxidized to give ethanoic acid in presence of acidified KMnO4 while no reaction takes place with ethanoic acid in presence of acidified KMnO4.

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