What is ethanol?

Ethanol is an alcohol with 2 carbon atoms. It's formula is C2H5OH.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

Give 4 uses of ethanol.

  1. Chemical feedstock to produce other chemicals.
  2. As a solvent.
  3. Fuel (when it's made by living organisms it's called a biofuel).
  4. Making alcoholic drinks.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

How is ethanol made from ethene?

Ethene is reacted with steam (gaseous water) at a high temperature, high pressure, and with a phosphoric acid catalyst.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What is the word equation for the reaction of making ethanol from ethene?

ethene + water ➔ ethanol

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What are the pros and cons of making ethanol from ethene?

Pros: Ethene is cheap and the reaction itself is cheap and efficient.


Cons: Ethene is made from crude oil which is a non-renewable resource.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What does the term 'fermentation' mean with reference to ethanol?

Fermentation is the anaerobic respiration of sugars by yeast cells to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What is the word equation for the reaction of making ethanol by fermentation?

glucose ➔ ethanol + carbon dioxide

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What are the conditions for fermentation?

  1. Yeast.
  2. Glucose for the yeast to respire.
  3. 30-40 degrees celsius.
  4. Anaerobic conditions (no oxygen).

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

What are the pros and cons of making ethanol by fermentation?

Pros: Glucose used is a renewable resource so can't run out. Yeast are easy to grow.


Cons: The process can be relatively slow. The ethanol produced isn't pure, so must be distilled by fractional distillation.

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.

Why are temperatures of 30-40 °C used when making ethanol by fermentation?

The reaction is catalysed by enzymes, and 30-40°C is the optimum temperature for them to function. 

Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.