(a) How would you test for an alcohol?

(b) Give the harmful effects of drinking alcohol.
(c) Explain why, methanol is much more dangerous to drink than ethanol.

(a) Alcohols are slightly acidic in nature and can be detected by their reaction with sodium. When sodium is added to alcohol, sodium alkoxide is formed along with the release of hydrogen gas that burns with a pop sound. This confirms that the compound is an alcohol. Alcohols do not change the colour of the litmus paper.

(b) The harmful effects of drinking alcohol are given below:
  1. Alcohol has a severe impact on our nervous system and brain. The reflex to judging any situation slows down and a person fails to react quickly. Therefore, the chances of accidents increase when a person is driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
  2. The consumption of alcohol brings about a drastic decline in mental restrain, and this makes a drunken man quarrelsome. Due to this, violence and crimes have increased in society.
  3. Excess consumption of alcohol over time can damage the stomach, liver, heart, and brain. Cirrhosis, which is a liver disease, can even cause death.

(c) Methanol is much more dangerous to drink than ethanol as it is a poison. Though both methanol and ethanol are metabolized by the liver, the rate of metabolism differs. Methanol gets oxidized to methanal in the liver, which rapidly reacts with the cell components and causes coagulation of protoplasm. As a result, the cells stop functioning causing the death of the person who consumes methanol.

Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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