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How do ethanol burn?

Updated: 9/18/2023
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13y ago

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Ethanol is an alcohol which reacts with oxygen to form water and carbon dioxide:

C2H5OH + 3O2 = 3H20 + 2CO2 Exothermic, so heat is generated.

The reaction is initiated by heat such as match or a spark (but see below about explosive limits). The flash point of ethanol is 9C, so if liquid ethanol is heated to that temperature a spark will ignite it in the presence of oxygen. At 8C, ethanol will not ignite unless the match heats it up by at least one degree.

However, there are certain stipulations, known as the Explosive Limits

The Lower Explosive Limit of Ethanol is 3.5% v/v, meaning that there must be at least 3.5% by volume of ethanol vapor in air for it to ignite, and:

The Upper Explosive Limit of Ethanol is 19% v/v.

If the volume of ethanol vapor in air is above 19% then it cannot ignite due to there being insufficient oxygen for it to ignite. If you rapidly immersed a lighted match into pure liquid ethanol it would extinguish the match due to a lack of oxygen in the liquid.

An addition I forgot to mention:

If you look ate the chemical equation, the atomic weight of hydrogen is 1, of carbon is 12 and of oxygen is 16

So a mole of ethanol will weigh 46g and a mole of 3 oxygen molecules is 96. So you need over twice the weight of oxygen as ethanol for it to burn. If we take the respective volumes of the two molecules at average room temperature, the Upper Explosive Limit is based on the fact that you cannot have that required ratio of oxygen to ethanol if the amount of oxygen present by volume to ethanol is only 81% It must be higher for the reaction to proceed.

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Q: How do ethanol burn?
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Why does ethanol burn differently than ethanol and water mixed?

the main reason why ethanol burns differently then ethanol and water mix is mainly because when you add the water to the ethanol you are making the ethanol less potent so it will burn weaker.


Why do you have to modify vehicles to use ethanol as a fuel?

You don't if the vehicle was designed as a flex fuel vehicle. It can safely burn E85 ethanol. You can burn a mixture of 10% Ethanol in any vehicle.


What gas is required for ethanol to burn?

Oxygen.


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Carbon Dioxide and Water


What do you get when you burn ethanol?

Carbon Dioxide and Water


What happens when you burn ethanol?

If there is an ample supply of oxygen, the ethanol is converted to carbon dioxide and water.


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because it has a acid inside the ethinol and a pinch of pottassium which makes it burn


Does ethanol burn more cleanly than methane?

no. lol


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What gas is given off when you burn ethanol?

Water vapor and carbon dioxide.


What is the enthalpy of combustion of ethanol and the equation?

it is a reaction when ethanol compeltly burn in oxygen to produce corbondioxide and water.The reaction is exo because heat is giving off Thom, ab, aba and mer


How is ethanol and oil the same?

Ethanol and oil for fuel are both rather simple liquid hydrocarbons. Both can be used as fuel for internal combustion engines, turbines, and heating units. In many cases, equipment can be designed or retrofitted to burn either. Both burn to form carbon dioxide and water, but their carbon footprints are different. Petroleum is a fossil fuel, but ethanol is not. Petroleum predictably has a pretty specific carbon footprint, but the carbon footprint of ethanol varies according to how it is produced and is somewhat controversial. The production of ethanol could produce very little global warming gas, but it could also produce a lot.