Alcohol and alcohol are quite tightly integrated into our daily lives. This article will give basic guidelines on how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol. Their characteristics and chemical formulas will also be indicated.
History of the discovery of alcohol
The formula of alcohol in one form or another was discovered almost simultaneously in many regions of the globe. In 1334, the French alchemist Arnaud de Vilger initially obtained wine spirit. In 1360 Italian and French monasteries produced such a substance called "water of life". Genoese merchants brought alcohol to Moscow in 1386 to demonstrate its qualities.
Definition
Now let's figure out what ethyl and methyl alcohol are.
Methanol (aka methyl alcohol, aka wood alcohol, aka carbinol, aka methyl hydrate, aka methyl hydroxide) is a monoatomic simplest alcohol, a poisonous, colorless liquid. With air forms (in volume concentrations from 6.98 to 35.5%) explosive mixtures (at a temperature of 8 degreesin Celsius). The molecular formula of methyl alcohol is CH4O or CH3-OH.
Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol, or wine alcohol, or alcohol, in common people simply "alcohol", methylcarbinol) - monohydric alcohol with the usual formula C2H 5OH. Under standard conditions, it is a volatile, colorless, flammable transparent liquid. It is a depressant - a psychoactive substance that depresses the human central nervous system, and an active ingredient in alcoholic beverages.
Comparison
From the position of definition and chemical formula, it is quite simple to determine how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol. In practice, everything is not so simple.
If you turn to chemistry, you can get a lot of information about these substances: application, production, properties, being in nature, etc. But let's get back to everyday issues and take a closer look at how methanol differs from ethanol.
Methanol is similar in appearance to ethanol: colorless, with a characteristic but weaker odor. These are the main properties of methyl alcohol. Just like that, unfortunately, these two substances are very difficult to distinguish from each other. Only a professional chemist can visually distinguish one species from another. Color, smell, taste are so similar that these substances are often confused. The consequences of such confusion are fraught with: from blindness to death.
Differences
At home, you can conduct simple experiments to identify differences. Here are threeimportant way to distinguish methanol from ethanol. The same methods will also be of a comparative nature.
1 way. Ignition of the investigated liquid. One of the simplest and most reliable ways: set fire to our sample, follow the color of the flame. Ethanol is blue and methanol is green. It's so simple and clear, but remember that ignorance, unfortunately, does not exempt a person from the consequences.
Let's introduce a new concept in our article - technical alcohol. The term "technical alcohol" means alcohols (methanol, denatured alcohol) and their mixtures that are not suitable for human consumption, causing serious and irreparable damage to both he alth and life.
You also need to take into account the following point: using a thermometer in our simple experiment, you need to fix the boiling point, since it is known from sections of chemistry that ethanol boils at a temperature of 78 ° Celsius, and methanol reaches a boil already at 64 °.
2 way. We use regular potatoes. A small slice of potato should be thrown into the test liquid for several hours: if after the specified time the potato has not changed color, then you have ethanol in front of you - a substance suitable for consumption. If the potato slice turned pink, then the test liquid is methanol, the strongest poison for the human body.
3 way. formaldehyde test. Here we need a copper wire, a small part of which must be heated to white and lowered into a liquid. When there is ethanol in it, you can smell the smell of rotten apples, and where there is methanol, you will hear a sharpunpleasant odor - the smell of formaldehyde.
Remember that a small dose (50 ml is enough) of methanol can be fatal. Be vigilant, do not buy alcoholic beverages at dubious points of sale, do not risk life and he alth, but buy alcohol in specialized stores.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning
Symptomatics of methanol poisoning is very similar to alcohol poisoning, but against the general background of nausea, dizziness, intoxication, lethargy, vomiting, seizures, it is necessary to highlight the loss of vision. Methanol enters the human body during breathing, through the skin and the digestive tract. There is severe pain in the legs, a sharp headache. It affects the nervous system, destroys blood vessels, leads to blindness. Rapidly absorbed, slowly excreted, cumulates (accumulates). Oxidized in the body, it forms toxic compounds - formic acid and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is very toxic, as it is a first class hazard substance. It is officially recognized as a carcinogen. Its accumulation in the body leads to the development of cancer. Formic acid causes damage to the eyes and respiratory tract. Severe poisoning with loss of vision can be caused by ingestion of as little as 5-10 ml of methyl alcohol. The lethal dose is in the range of 30 to 100 ml, but it also depends on the individual characteristics of a particular organism. Death comes from respiratory arrest. The diagnosis can be confirmed by the presence in the urine of the victim of suchsubstances like formic acid.
First Aid
Above it was clearly shown how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol. However, there are situations in life when you have to provide first aid to the victim. In case of poisoning with methanol, it is aimed at removing the poison from the body, delaying the process of oxidation of this substance. However, the excretory system will suffer in the very first place. When using technical alcohol inside, it is necessary to wash the stomach during the first couple of hours. Usually appoint plentiful drink, reception of solutions of alkalis (sodium bicarbonate 10-15 grams). The antidote is ethyl alcohol, which reduces the oxidation of methyl alcohol and the formation of toxic conversion products. The statistics on cases of methanol poisoning are depressing.
Ethyl alcohol. GOST
GOST is primarily a document that regulates what qualities goods sold in a particular country should have. There are several GOSTs for ethanol, which describe the purpose, storage conditions, transportation, and much more.
But an issue as complex as drinking alcohol can spark hours of debate. And this is not the point, because each person must decide for himself questions of this level. But let's turn to GOST 1972: “Ethyl alcohol is a flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor. Refers to hard drugs that cause first excitement, and then- paralysis of the nervous system.”
Now we read GOST 1982: "Ethyl alcohol is a flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor, related to strong drugs." And finally, 2000: "Ethyl alcohol is a colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor." The same regulatory documents regulate such a substance as technical ethyl alcohol.
Harm and benefits of alcohol
Let's not touch this huge iceberg called "to drink or not to drink". Let us recall the words of beloved Semyon Semenovich Gorbunkov about the benefits of alcohol. Alcohol is able to slightly prevent the formation of blood clots, reduce blood cholesterol, expand blood vessels, which will lead to more intense blood circulation. And the medicine, as you know, loves a clear dosage, so 50 ml heals and invigorates. But the benefits that alcohol brings are too small compared to its harm: alcohol makes changes in the genetic structure of a person, which can lead to deviations in the mental development of descendants, and has a detrimental effect on a person’s moral behavior. At the same time, it is worth remembering that it is alcohol that encourages a person to commit rash, stupid and cruel acts. To prevent this from happening, you should strictly observe the norm. A complete rejection of a variety of alcoholic beverages will also be useful.
Remember that if you exceed the norm, then alcohol will become a poison that will harm the organs and even entire systems of your body.
Actually onthis can complete the discussion on how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol.
