Alcohol and alcohol entered our everyday life quite tightly. This article will provide basic guidance on how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol. Their characteristics and chemical formulas will also be indicated.
History of the discovery of alcohol
The alcohol formula in one form or another was discovered almost simultaneously in many regions of the globe. In 1334, the French alchemist Arnaud de Wilger originally received wine alcohol. In 1360, Italian and French monasteries produced such a substance called "water of life." Genoese merchants in 1386 brought alcohol to Moscow to demonstrate its qualities.
Definition
Now we will understand what ethyl and methyl alcohol are.
Methanol (aka methyl alcohol, aka wood alcohol, aka carbinol, aka methyl hydrate, aka methyl hydroxide) is a simple monohydric alcohol, a poisonous, colorless liquid. With air forms (in volume concentrations from 6.98 to 35.5%) explosive mixtures (at a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius). The molecular formula of methyl alcohol is CH 4 O or CH 3 -OH.
Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol, or wine alcohol, or alcohol, in common people simply “alcohol”, methylcarbinol) is a monohydroxy alcohol with the usual formula C 2 H 5 OH. Under standard conditions, it is a volatile, colorless, flammable, transparent liquid. It is a depressant - a psychoactive substance that depresses the central nervous system of a person, and an active component of alcoholic beverages.
Comparison
From the standpoint of definition and chemical formula, it is simple enough to determine how to distinguish between methyl and 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, preparation, properties, presence in nature, etc. But let's get back to everyday issues and consider in more detail 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 often these substances are confused. The consequences of such confusion are fraught: from blindness to death.
Differences
At home, you can conduct simple experiments to identify differences. Here are three important ways to distinguish methanol from ethanol. The same methods will be comparative in nature.
1 way . The ignition of the test fluid. One of the easiest and most reliable ways: set fire to our sample, monitor the color of the flame. Ethanol is blue and methanol is green. This is so simple and understandable, but remember that ignorance, unfortunately, does not exempt a person from the consequences.
We introduce a new concept in our article - technical alcohol. By the term "technical alcohol" we mean alcohols (methanol, methylated spirits) and their mixtures, not suitable for human consumption, causing serious and irreparable damage to both health and life.
You also need to take into account the following point: using a thermometer in our simple experiment, we need to fix the boiling temperature, since it is known from the chemistry sections that ethanol boils at a temperature of 78 ° C, and methanol reaches a boil already at 64 °.
2 way . We use ordinary potatoes. For a few hours, a small slice of potato needs to be thrown into the test liquid: if after a specified time the potato has not changed color, then you have ethanol - a substance suitable for consumption. If a potato slice turns 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 incandescent and lowered into a liquid. When ethanol is present in it, you can smell the ripe apples, and where methanol is located, you will hear a sharp unpleasant 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 questionable points of sale, do not risk your life and health, but buy alcohol in specialized stores.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning
The symptoms of methanol poisoning are very similar to alcohol poisoning, but against the general background of nausea, dizziness, intoxication, lethargy, vomiting, convulsions, it is necessary to highlight the loss of vision. Methanol enters the human body during respiration, through the skin and digestive tract. There is severe pain in the legs, a sharp headache. It affects the nervous system, destroys blood vessels, leads to blindness. It is quickly absorbed, slowly excreted, accumulates (accumulates). Oxidizing in the body, it forms toxic compounds - formic acid and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is very toxic, as it is a first hazard class substance. It is officially recognized as a congregagen. 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 cause ingestion of only 5-10 ml of methyl alcohol. The lethal dose is in the range from 30 to 100 ml, but it also depends on the individual characteristics of a particular organism. Death occurs from respiratory arrest. The diagnosis can be confirmed by the presence in the urine of the victim of a substance such as formic acid.
First aid
Above, it was clearly demonstrated how to distinguish methyl from ethyl alcohol. However, there are situations in life when you have to provide first aid to a victim. In case of methanol poisoning, it is aimed at removing poison from the body, delaying the oxidation of this substance. However, the excretory system will suffer in the first place. When using technical alcohol inside, it is necessary to rinse the stomach for the first couple of hours. It is usually prescribed a plentiful drink, taking alkaline solutions (sodium bicarbonate 10-15 grams). Ethanol is the antidote, which reduces the oxidation of methyl alcohol and the formation of toxic conversion products. Statistics on cases of methanol poisoning are depressing.
Ethanol. GOST
GOST is first of all a document regulating what qualities goods sold in a particular country should have. There are several GOSTs for ethanol that describe the purpose, storage conditions, transportation and much more.
But such a complex issue as the use of alcoholic beverages can lead to 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. It refers to potent drugs that cause first agitation and then paralysis of the nervous system. ”
Now we read GOST 1982: "Ethyl alcohol is a flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor, which belongs to potent drugs." And finally, 2000: “Ethyl alcohol is a colorless, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor.” These same regulatory documents regulate such a substance as technical ethyl alcohol.
The harm and benefits of alcohol
Let's not touch this huge iceberg called "drink or not drink." Let us recall the words of our beloved Semyon Semenovich Gorbunkov about the benefits of alcohol. Alcohol is able to slightly prevent the formation of blood clots, lower blood cholesterol, dilate 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 in comparison with its harm: alcohol makes changes in the genetic structure of a person, which can lead to deviations in the mental development of descendants, has a detrimental effect on the moral behavior of a person. It should be remembered that it is alcohol that prompts 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 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 on this, we can end the discussion on how to distinguish between methyl and ethyl alcohol.