How to tell.....?

[zibb3r]

I am giving 2 substances.  1 is propane and 1 is propan-1-ol, but I don't know which is which.  What can I do to find out???

I thought maybe add water to both and then propanol would react but propane wouldn't because of polarity???

THanks :smitten:

[pi]

I think your idea would work, because as propane is fully non-polar, there would be separation between propane and water (two distinct layers), whilst propanol would mix with the water (is polar).

I'm interested to know more too

[Russ]

Add anything that reacts with a hydroxyl group (eg alcohol reduction) and check for the reaction process/product

[nacho]

Add anything that reacts with a hydroxyl group (eg alcohol reduction) and check for the reaction process/product

isn't it alcohol oxidation?

Also, at room temperature, propane is a gas and propanol is a liquid

[Mao]

@Russ, @nacho, as chemists, we try to do the simplest experiment, because they are the easiest and most reliable (less steps = less chance of everything going wrong).

Dissolution in water (@pi, @zibb3r) is a very easy test that will distinguish the two. (There's no reaction, just dissolution. We can distinguish two substances without a reaction.)

There is even an easier way, propanol has a much higher boiling point than propane. (Propane is a gas at room temperature, propanol is a liquid.) You will be able to tell just by looking at the two substances at room temperature.

Moderator action: removed real name, sorry for the inconvenience

[Russ]

@Russ, @nacho, as chemists, we try to do the simplest experiment,

As a bucket chemist (biologist) I just throw everything together and make up a conclusion