Question

How would you differentiate between ethanol and ethanoic acid?

Answer 1

Ethanoic acid has got `-COOH`,carboxylic group , so it acts with aqueous solution of `NaHCO_3`and produce effervescence of `CO_2` gas.This does not occur in case of Ethanol as it is neutral in nature. Thus they may be distingushed.

`CH_3COOH +NaHCO_3->CH_3COONa +CO_2uparrow`