Methylated spirit is a useful product made from a mixture of substances - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 2 - 2018 - Paper 2

To calculate the percentage by mass of methanol in methylated spirit, use the formula:

$ext{Percentage by mass} = \left( \frac{\text{Mass of Methanol}}{\text{Total Mass}} \right) \times 100$

Where:

• Mass of Methanol = 23.3 g
• Total Mass = 265.5 g + 23.3 g + 3.0 g + 1.5 g = 293.3 g

Thus,

$ext{Percentage by mass} = \left( \frac{23.3}{293.3} \right) \times 100 \approx 7.94\%$.

Pyridine and methyl violet are added to ethanol to deter consumption or drinking by people, as they impart a very unpleasant smell and a distinct color.

One use of methylated spirit is as a fuel for heating or as a solvent in various applications.

Ethanol is produced from sugar solution through the process of fermentation. This involves adding yeast to the sugar solution, allowing the mixture to ferment in anaerobic conditions (absence of oxygen) or under appropriate warm temperatures.

The completed structure of ethanol in Figure 2 is:

     H   
     |   
H - C - C - OH  
     |   
     H   

The gas produced when sodium is added to ethanol is hydrogen.

The type of substance that reacts with methanol to produce methanoic acid is an oxidizing agent, such as potassium permanganate or dichromate ions.