Final answer:
To differentiate between trimyristin and myristic acid using only the melting point technique, compare their melting behavior. Trimyristin will undergo a phase transition called crystallization before fully melting, while myristic acid will simply melt. If the material you isolated showed a crystallization phase before melting, it indicates trimyristin.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to differentiate between trimyristin and myristic acid using only the melting point technique, you can compare the melting points of the samples you have. Trimyristin has a melting point of 55-56 oC, which is very close to the melting point of myristic acid. However, there is a key difference in their melting behavior.
When you heat myristic acid, it will simply melt, similar to most carboxylic acids. However, when you heat trimyristin, it will undergo a phase transition called crystallization before fully melting. This means that before reaching its actual melting point, trimyristin will solidify or crystallize at a slightly lower temperature.
So, if the material you isolated showed a crystallization phase before melting during heating, it indicates that you have trimyristin and not myristic acid.