Question

Pyroligneous acid is a mixture of ________, acetone and acetic acid.
(A) Methanol
(B) Methane
(C) Ethanol
(D) Ethane

Answer 1

Hint: To answer this question, you must recall the constituents and composition of pyroligneous acid. Pyroligneous acid is a dark coloured liquid that is formed from the destructive distillation of plant materials like wood. It is an organic compound and is formed by the mixture of three organic compounds, one of which is a ketone, one acid and one alcohol.

Complete step by step solution
We know that pyroligneous acid is made from the destructive distillation of wood and thus it is commonly known as wood acid. It is also known as wood vinegar since acetic acid is the most abundant in the mixture. Due to this reason, it was initially used commonly as a source for acetic acid or vinegar. The original name of pyroligneous acid is acetum lignorum and was discovered by a German chemist named Johann Rudolph Glauber.
Pyroligneous acid or wood vinegar consists of around 80 to 90 percent of water and along with it around 200 different organic compounds. The principal components that are most dominantly present in this naturally occurring acid are Acetic acid, acetone and methanol.
So, the correct answer is A.

Note
In earlier times, wood vinegar was used as a cheap substitute for vinegar. It was also used in medical fields for the treatment of various ailments and wounds like ulcers. Like any other acid, it can be neutralized with a base called lye to make a salt. Lye is a traditionally obtained metallic hydroxide that is prepared from the ashes of burnt wood.