Question

What happens when ethanol is heated at 443k with conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ ,

Answer 1

Concentrated sulphuric acid can also be represented as Conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ . The concentrated sulphuric acid is going to act as a dehydrating agent
when it is going to be used in organic chemical reactions at higher temperature.

Complete answer:
- In the question it is asked to write the chemical reaction when ethanol is heated at 443k with conc.${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ .
- To write the chemical reaction between ethanol and the conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ , first we should know the chemical formula of the ethanol.
- The chemical formula of the ethanol is $C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}OH$ .
- After knowing the chemical formula of ethanol, we can write the chemical reaction of ethanol with conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ and it is as follows.
$C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}OH+Conc.{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}\xrightarrow{443k}C{{H}_{2}}=C{{H}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O$
- The above chemical reaction is a best example for dehydration chemical reaction which is going to occur with organic chemicals.
- In the above chemical reaction ethanol is going to react with conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ at 443 K and forms ethylene as the product and water as the by product.
- Means conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ is going to act as a dehydrating agent at 443 K.
- The product formed after the reaction of ethanol with conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ at 443 K is ethylene.

Note:
Conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ is a strong agent, it is going to abstract hydrogens very easily from the organic compounds which are going to have an alcohol functional group in their structure. Therefore conc. ${{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}$ is going to act as a dehydrating agent in organic chemical reactions.