Question

Write the balanced equation for the complete combustion of ethanol in oxygen. Do not include physical states or energy in the equation. For the alcohol be sure to write the condensed formula.

Answer 1

Ethanol, C2H5OH burns with oxygen in air to give carbon dioxide and water.

The easiest way is to set up the reaction equation without any coefficients:

C2H6O + O2 --> CO2 + HOH

Now start balancing, first with carbon, then with hydrogen and last the oxygen.

There are 2 carbons on the left and 6 hydrogens so you add a coefficient of 2 in front of the CO2 and a 3 in front of H2O, 3 infront of Oxyen as 7 O atoms in right hand side

So overall reaction is

C2H5OH + 3O2 -----> 2CO2 + 3H2O