Joe Farley, age 15, of E1 Paso, Tex., for his question:

WHAT IS METHANOL?

Methanol is another word for wood alcohol, the useful industrial chemical. The product is also called wood spirit and methyl alcohol but it should not be confused with ethyl alcohol, which is used in alcoholic beverages.

Methanol is widely used as a solvent and sometimes in airplane fuels and antifreezes. The race cars of next month's Indianapolis 500 will also be using methanol as a fuel.

Methanol, or wood alcohol, is the simplest member of the alcohol class of organic compounds. It is a colorless, flammable liquid that has a distinctive odor.

Great care must be used with wood alcohol. The fuel can paralyze the optic nerves and may cause blindness. It could even cause death if swallowed.