What happens when

(Write a chemical equation in each case)


(a) ethanol is burnt in the air?


(b) ethanol is heated with excess conc. H2SO4 at 443 K?


(c) a piece of sodium is dropped into ethanol?


(a) Ethanol, when burnt in air, undergoes complete oxidation and produces carbon dioxide and water.


C2H5OH + 3O2 2CO2 + 3H2O +heat and light


(b) Concentrated H2SO4 is a good dehydrating agent. When ethanol is heated with excess conc. H2SO4, one water molecule is removed from it to form ethene (C2H4).



(c) When sodium is dropped into ethanol, the solution colour changes to pink from colourless. This happens due to formation of sodium ethoxide.


The reaction is given below:


2C2H5OH + 2Na 2C2H50Na + H2




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