Does methanol absorb UV light?
The following site is a commercial site that sells CH3OH BUT they have the wavelength peaks in the uv listed at the bottom of the properties list for CH3OH.
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/ProductDetail.do?D7=0&N5=SEARCH_CONCAT_PNO|BRAND_KEY&N4=65540|FLUKA&N25=0&QS=ON&F=SPEC
Yes, methanol does absorb UV light. To understand why, it is helpful to consider the molecular structure of methanol.
Methanol (CH3OH) is a simple alcohol compound consisting of one carbon atom (C), three hydrogen atoms (H), and one hydroxyl group (-OH). The hydroxyl group is responsible for the ability of methanol to absorb UV light.
UV light consists of high-energy photons that can interact with the electrons in an atom or molecule. In the case of methanol, the hydroxyl group contains oxygen, which has a lone pair of electrons that are relatively loosely held.
When methanol is exposed to UV light, the energy of the photons can be absorbed by the hydroxyl group, causing the electrons to transition from their ground state to a higher energy state. This process is known as electronic excitation.
The absorption of UV light by methanol occurs in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically in the range of 200 to 400 nanometers (nm). Methanol absorbs UV light more strongly at shorter wavelengths, which corresponds to higher energy photons.
To experimentally confirm that methanol absorbs UV light, you can perform a UV-Vis spectroscopy experiment. This technique involves passing UV light through a sample of methanol and measuring the amount of light absorbed at different wavelengths. The resulting absorption spectrum will show peaks of absorption in the UV range, indicating methanol's ability to absorb UV light.