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Ethanol: Meaning, Chemical Formula And Uses

Ethanol is found in alcoholic beverages. It is used as a solvent in the paint industry as well as in the preparation of various carbon compounds. It is also known as ethyl alcohol.

Jul 15, 2024, 16:57 IST

Check the meaning, formula and uses of Ethanol.

An alcohol contains one or more hydroxyl (OH) group(s) directly attached to carbon atom(s), of an aliphatic system (CH3OH). Students might have noticed that ordinary spirit used for polishing wooden furniture is chiefly a compound containing hydroxyl group, ethanol.

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol is commonly known as alcohol and is usually found in alcoholic drinks. It is a liquid at room temperature and is soluble in water. Ethanol is a colourless liquid which has a boiling point of 351 K. It is used as a solvent in the paint industry as well as in the preparation of various carbon compounds. Ethanol is also known as ethyl alcohol.

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What is the Formula for Ethanol?

The chemical formula for ethanol is C₂H₅OH and the formula for ethyl alcohol is CH₃CH₂OH.

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What is the Process for Obtaining Ethanol?

NCERT has explained the process for obtaining ethanol from sugar. The sugar in molasses, sugarcane or fruits such as grapes is converted to glucose and fructose, (both of which have the formula C6H12O6 ), in the presence of an enzyme, invertase. Glucose and fructose undergo fermentation in the presence of another enzyme, zymase, which is found in yeast. The action of zymase is inhibited once the percentage of alcohol formed exceeds 14 percent. If air gets into fermentation mixture, the oxygen of air oxidises ethanol to ethanoic acid which in turn destroys the taste of alcoholic drinks.

The commercial alcohol is made unfit for drinking by mixing some copper sulphate and pyridine. This is known as denaturation of alcohol.

What are the Uses of Ethanol?

The most common use of ethanol is in alcoholic beverages. Ethanol is an important industrial solvent. To prevent the misuse of ethanol produced for industrial use, it is made unfit for drinking by adding poisonous substances like methanol to it. Ethanol is widely used as a solvent. It is used, for example, in many perfumes and cosmetics. Some countries use alcohol as an additive in petrol as it is a cleaner fuel and gives rise to only carbon dioxide and water on burning in air. It is used in medicines, cough syrups and many tonics.

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