Why is cold ethanol used instead of room termperature ethanol?

Answer 1

Cold ethanol is most likely used instead of room temperature ethanol in order to prevent the ethanol from evaporating. When the temperature of something decreases the molecules speed decreases as well making it less likely to evaporate.

Answer 2

Cold ethanol is used to precipitate nucleic acids because it helps to increase the solubility of DNA or RNA, allowing for more efficient isolation. Cooling the ethanol also helps to promote the aggregation and precipitation of nucleic acids, which can then be collected more easily.