Concept:When ethanol is heated with concentrated sulfuric acid, water is removed from the alcohol molecule. This type of reaction is called dehydration.Explanation:Ethanol is mixed with concentrated H2SO4 and heated to about 170∘C.The sulfuric acid acts as a dehydrating agent because it removes the elements of water from ethanol.The product formed is ethene, an alkene, together with water.The reaction can be represented as:CH3CH2OHH2SO4,170∘CCH2=CH2+H2OSince water is eliminated from ethanol, this reaction is not oxidation, esterification, or polymerization. It is a dehydration reaction.
