Test to differentiate between ethanol `(CH_(3)CH_(2)OH)` and phenol (Ph-OH) is /are

Options

A. Litmus test
B. Neutral `FeCl_(3)`
C. Sodium metal test
D. all of these

Explanation

To differentiate between ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) and phenol (C₆H₅OH), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Compounds**:
- Ethanol is an alcohol with the formula CH₃CH₂OH.
- Phenol is an aromatic compound with the formula C₆H₅OH.

2. **Acidity Comparison**:
- Both ethanol and phenol can donate a proton (H⁺) due to the presence of the hydroxyl (-OH) group.
- Ethanol is slightly acidic, while phenol is more acidic due to the resonance stabilization of the phenoxide ion (C₆H₅O⁻).

3. **Litmus Test**:
- Both ethanol and phenol will turn blue litmus paper red, indicating that they are both acidic. Therefore, this test cannot differentiate between the two.

4. **Reaction with Sodium Metal**:
- Both ethanol and phenol react with sodium metal to produce hydrogen gas and their respective alkoxide salts.
- Ethanol reacts to form sodium ethoxide (CH₃CH₂O⁻Na⁺).
- Phenol reacts to form sodium phenoxide (C₆H₅O⁻Na⁺).
- Since both react similarly with sodium, this test also cannot differentiate between them.

5. **Neutral FeCl₃ Test**:
- When ethanol is treated with neutral FeCl₃, there is no significant reaction observed.
- However, when phenol is treated with neutral FeCl₃, it forms ferric phenoxide, which gives a characteristic dark purple color.
- This color change indicates the presence of phenol and allows us to distinguish it from ethanol.

### Conclusion:
The test that can differentiate between ethanol and phenol is the **Neutral FeCl₃ test**. Ethanol does not react, while phenol gives a distinct color change.

### Final Answer:
The correct test to differentiate between ethanol and phenol is the **Neutral FeCl₃ test**.

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