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How to tell the difference between octane-1-ol and oct-1-ene? The things I can do are:

  • check their solubility in water
  • use bromine water
  • use $\ce{KMnO4}$
  • use sulfuric acid

I assumed that checking the solubility would be a good idea because of the presence of an alcohol but will I notice a difference since the alcohol has 8 carbon atoms. And they all react with bromine water, $\ce{KMnO4}$ and $\ce{H2SO4}$. I think I'm missing something.

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    $\begingroup$ Do you have access to IR or NMR? $\endgroup$ – Waylander May 4 '18 at 19:42
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Alkene is best characterized, then, by its property of decolorizing both a solution of bromine in carbon tetrachloride and a cold, dilute, neutral permanganate solution (the Baeyer test). Both tests are easily carried out; in one, a red color disappears, and in the other, a purple color disappears and is replaced by brown manganese dioxide.

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See whether in addition of Br₂ in CCl4 it gives red color or not ,It is a test to see the presence of the double bond and you can try Lucas test on the alcohol

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In a decent university chemistry lab you could try treatment with ozone, followed by triphenyl phosphine or reduction with zinc / acetic acid and then steam distillation. The octene will form formaldehyde and heptanal while the octanol should do nothing.

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