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Activity 4.5 — Ethanol Properties
NCERT Activity 4.5: Investigate the properties of ethanol — its smell, solubility, reaction with sodium, and dehydration to ethene.
How To Perform
1
Smell Test
Carefully smell ethanol — it has a sweet, alcoholic odor.
2
Solubility Test
Mix ethanol with water — it dissolves completely in all proportions.
3
Sodium Reaction
Add sodium metal to ethanol — observe H₂ gas bubbles evolving.
4
Dehydration
Heat ethanol with conc. H₂SO₄ to produce ethene gas.
⚠️ Safety Notes
- •Sodium metal is highly reactive — handle with dry forceps, never touch with bare hands.
- •Sodium reacts violently with water — keep it away from water before the experiment.
- •Concentrated H₂SO₄ is extremely corrosive — add acid to water, NEVER water to acid.
- •Ethanol is flammable — keep away from open flames during the experiment.
- •Do NOT drink lab ethanol — it may contain toxic denaturants like methanol.