1. Ethyl alcohol is made unfit for drinking by the addition of the following :
(a) Potassium Cyanide
(b) Methanol and Pyridine
(c) Acetic acid and Pyridine
(d) Naphthalene
[R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 1999]
Ans. (b) Methanol and Pyridine
- Adding methanol and pyridine to ethyl alcohol makes it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating, which is called denaturing it.
- The resulting mixture is called denatured alcohol, methylated spirit, or denatured rectified spirit.
- It’s usually made up of 85–90% rectified spirit and 10–15% methanol and 0.5% pyridine.
- Denatured alcohol is often dyed so it can be easily identified.
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2. The offending substance in the liquor tragedies leading to blindness etc. is –
(a) Ethyl alcohol
(b) Amyl alcohol
(c) Benzyl alcohol
(d) Methyl alcohol
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (d) Methyl alcohol
- Methyl alcohol (methanol) is a clear liquid that can be dissolved in water. b
- It can be dangerous in any amount, leading to confusion, blindness, and death if too much is consumed.
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3. Which one of the following is also known as ‘wood spirit’?
(a) Methyl alcohol
(b) Ethyl alcohol
(c) Ethylene glycol
(d) Glycerol
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]
Ans. (a) Methyl alcohol
- Methyl alcohol is sometimes called wood spirit.
- It is made by breaking down wood into different parts.
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4. Fermentation of sugar leads to –
(a) Ethyl alcohol
(b) Methyl alcohol
(c) Acetic acid
(d) Chlorophyll
[47th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (a) Ethyl alcohol
- Alcohol is created by the breaking down of sugar, which is made from glucose and fructose.
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5. Glucose is converted to ethyl alcohol by the enzyme
(a) maltase
(b) invertase
(c) zymase
(d) diastase
(e) None of the above / More than one of the above
[66th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2020]
Ans. (c) zymase
- Zymase is an enzyme that helps turn glucose into ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
- Yeast and other anaerobic organisms contain this enzyme naturally.
- It is also used in the production of ethanol and alcoholic drinks.
- Invertase changes sucrose (sugar from plants) into glucose and fructose.
- Maltase turns maltose into glucose and Diastase converts starch into maltose.
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6. To whom is molasses are excellent raw material for production?
(a) Glycerin
(b) Urea
(c) Alcohol
(d) Paraffin
[Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]
Ans. (c) Alcohol
- Wine is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting various ingredients.
- The amount of alcohol in each type of alcohol varies; beer has the least amount of alcohol while rum has the most.
- Examples of alcohol include beer, champagne, cider, port and sherry, brandy, whisky, rum, and gin.
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S. No. Name Alcohol Raw Material
1. Rum 45 to 55% Molasses
2. Brandy 40 to 50% Grapes
3. Whisky 40 to 50% Barley, Corn
4. Beer 3 to 6% Barley
5. Champagne 10 to 15% Grapes
6. Cider 2 to 6% Apple
7. Alcohol that is derived from the fermentation of germinated barley grains is known as:
(a) Beer
(b) Wine
(c) Vodka
(d) Rum
[U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (a) Beer
- Beer is made from fermented barley grains that have been germinated.
- It takes four main ingredients – barley, water, hops and yeast – to make beer.
- Other grains like maize, rice, rye and wheat can also be used.
- Whisky is also made from barley.
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8. The breath test conducted by police to check drunken drivers has which one of the following on the filter paper?
(a) Potassium dichromate-sulfuric acid
(b) Potassium permanganate-sulfuric acid
(c) Silica gel coated with silver nitrate
(d) Turmeric
(e) None of the above / More than one of the above
[66th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2020]
Ans. (a) Potassium dichromate-sulfuric acid
- Police use a breathalyzer test to measure a person’s alcohol level.
- The test involves blowing into a device that has a filter paper with potassium dichromate-sulfuric acid on it.
- When alcohol vapour comes into contact with the orange crystals, it causes them to change colour from orange to green.
- The more alcohol that is present, the more the colour changes.
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