Oxidation of Ethanol (to Ethanoic Acid) Calculator
Full oxidation of ethanol to carboxylic acid.
Formula first
Overview
The oxidation of ethanol to ethanoic acid represents the complete oxidation of a primary alcohol through an aldehyde intermediate. In a laboratory setting, this is typically achieved by heating ethanol under reflux with an excess of an oxidizing agent such as acidified potassium dichromate(VI).
Symbols
Variables
C_2H_5OH = Ethanol, [O] = Oxygen (from oxidizing agent), CH_3COOH = Ethanoic Acid, H_2O = Water
Apply it well
When To Use
When to use: This equation is applied when modeling the full conversion of ethanol into carboxylic acids, assuming a strong oxidizing environment and sufficient heat. It is used in stoichiometry calculations for industrial vinegar production and laboratory synthesis where the intermediate ethanal is not the desired final product.
Why it matters: This reaction is the chemical basis for the production of acetic acid in vinegar and explains how wine turns sour when exposed to air. In biological contexts, it mirrors the metabolic pathway in the liver where enzymes convert toxic ethanol into ethanoic acid for excretion.
Avoid these traps
Common Mistakes
- Distilling (gives aldehyde instead).
- Wrong color change.
- Forgetting water produced.
One free problem
Practice Problem
If 92.14 grams of ethanol are fully oxidized in a reflux setup with excess potassium dichromate, what mass of ethanoic acid will be produced?
Solve for: ethanoicAcid
Hint: First convert the mass of ethanol to moles using its molar mass (46.07 g/mol), then use the 1:1 molar ratio to find the mass of ethanoic acid.
The full worked solution stays in the interactive walkthrough.
References
Sources
- IUPAC Gold Book: Alcohol
- IUPAC Gold Book: Carboxylic acids
- IUPAC Gold Book: Oxidation
- Atkins' Physical Chemistry
- Wikipedia: Oxidation of primary alcohols
- McQuarrie's Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach
- IUPAC Gold Book
- McMurry, John. Organic Chemistry. 9th ed. Cengage Learning, 2016.