What would you do if you were given a sample of a clear liquid and asked to determine if it was water or?

Question

Please explain your answer

Answer 1

So many things could be done.
1- one could check for the index of refraction. Water has a 1.33 index, most liquid would have different index
2- weight a carefully measured volume of the liquid. At 4C, 1 cc of water would have a mass of 1 g
3- check for the volume of the liquid as the temperature drop below 4 C, among known liquids, only water will start expanding when the temperature drops below 4 C
4- drop its temperature to 0 C; water will freeze
5- heat it to 100 C; water will boil
6- carefully measure how much energy is neded to increase the liquid temperature; water will require 1 calorie to increase the temperature of 1 g by 1 C

Answer 2

pH, Karl Fisher flash point, & GC/MS analysis, in that order

pH will tell me if the range is near the typical 7 pH of water

flash point will tell me if the vapor from the liquid is combustible/flamable

Do not do the boiling point, as some clear liquids will explode all over the fume hood & eat right through your clothes and burn your skin as you are ignorantly assuming this clear liquid to be safe when it could be highly explosive!

GC/MS analysis will tell me the exact composition of the liquid. In fact, you could just skip right to the GC/MS analysis.

Answer 3

...or what?

Thest the pH - Water has a pH of 7 at 25 C

Answer 4

I would raise temperature to 212F to see if it boils. If it did boil at 212F (assuming 14.4 PSIA) lower temperature to 32F to see if it freezes. If it freezes at 32F it's most likely water since water is known to freeze at 32F and boil at 212F when at 1 atmophearic pressure (14.4 PSIA)