Question

Ethanol is heated with excess con.H₂SO₄ at 443K.

(a) Name the reaction that occurs and explain it.

(b) CH₃CH₂OH con.H₂SO₄/443k ⟶

(c) What is the product formed? What happen when this gas is passed through Br₂/H₂O

(d) Why does no decolonization occurs when ethanol is treated with Br₂/H₂O

Answer 1

(a) Dehydration (Loss of water).

When ethanol is heated with conc.H₂SO₄ at 443K, it loses a water molecule i.e., dehydrated to form ethene.

(b)

(c) Ethene gas.

When it is passed through Br₂/H₂O it gets decolourised because it is an unsaturated compound.

(d) Ethanol is a saturated compound. Therefore no decolourisation occurs.