Question

Give the reactions of ethyl alcohol with \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}\).

Short answer

Answer: The primary reactions of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) with sulfuric acid are dehydration and esterification. In the dehydration reaction, ethanol reacts with sulfuric acid to form ethylene gas (C2H4) and water (H2O). In the esterification reaction, ethanol reacts with sulfuric acid to form ethyl hydrogen sulfate (C2H5OSO3H) and water (H2O).

Step-by-step solution

Write the chemical formula of ethyl alcohol

Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol, has the chemical formula C2H5OH.

Identify the primary reaction of ethanol with sulfuric acid

There are two primary reactions that occur between ethanol and sulfuric acid: 1. Dehydration 2. Esterification In this exercise, we will focus on both reactions.

Dehydration reaction

In the dehydration reaction, ethanol (C2H5OH) reacts with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to form ethylene (C2H4) and water (H2O). The reaction proceeds as follows: C2H5OH + H2SO4 -> C2H4 + H2O + H2SO4 Here, sulfuric acid acts as a dehydrating agent that catalyzes the removal of a water molecule from ethanol to produce ethylene gas.

Esterification reaction

In the esterification reaction, ethanol (C2H5OH) reacts with sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Ethanol is an alcohol and reacts with the acid to form an ester, ethyl hydrogen sulfate, along with water. The reaction proceeds as follows: C2H5OH + H2SO4 -> C2H5OSO3H + H2O In this reaction, the -OH group from ethanol reacts with the H from H2SO4 to form a water molecule, and the remaining parts combine to form ethyl hydrogen sulfate (C2H5OSO3H).

Conclusion

Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) reacts with sulfuric acid in two primary ways: dehydration and esterification. In the dehydration reaction, ethanol forms ethylene gas and water, while in the esterification reaction, it forms ethyl hydrogen sulfate and water.