(a) What would be observed on adding a 5% alkaline potassium permanganate solution drop by drop to some warm ethanol in a test tube? Write the name of the compound formed during the chemical reaction. Also, write chemical equation of the reaction which takes place.
(b) How would you distinguish experimentally between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid on the basis of a chemical property?
(a) On adding 5% alkaline potassium permanganate solution drop by drop to some warm ethanol, we would observe that the purple color of potassium permanganate starts disappearing; the product formed by this process; ethanoic acid can turn blue litmus red.
\(CH_3CH_2OH + 2[O] \underset{or\;acidified\;K_2Cr_2O_7}{\stackrel{Alkaline\;KMnO_4;Heat}{\longrightarrow}}\)\(CH_3COOH + H_2O\)
(b) A carboxylic acid reacts with sodium hydrogen carbonate to give brisk effervescence of carbon dioxide gas but an alcohol does not react with sodium hydrogen carbonate.