Write a balance equation for the following (if no reaction occurs, indicate "no reaction)ethyl alcohol+H2S04 @ 140c?
You have asked for the chemical equation for the reaction of ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) and H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) at a high temperature (140 degrees C). The OH group in ethyl alcohol is called the hydroxyl group. The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group is electronegative (meaning it attracts electrons) and therefore has a partial negative charge. Sulfuric acid is a very strong acid and readily loses a proton (H+) which is electropositive. The proton is attracted to the hydroxyl oxygen to form the charged species (OH2)+ which is an excellent leaving group (it forms water (H2O)). Another hydroxyl group from a neighboring ethyl alcohol molecule can replace this leaving group to form a new carbon-oxygen bond and produce a molecule of diethyl ether (C2H5-O-C2H5). The balanced overall chemical reaction is shown below:
2C2H5OH + H2SO4 --> C2H5-O-C2H5 + H2O + H2SO4
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