What is the chemical equation for the combustion of ethanol?

The combustion of ethanol, which is represented by the chemical formula C2H5OH, involves its reaction with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). In a complete combustion reaction, the general representation requires balancing the number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the reactants and products.

In the balanced chemical equation C2H5OH + 3 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 3 H2O, we see that the combustion of one molecule of ethanol (containing 2 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom) requires three molecules of oxygen. The products consist of two molecules of carbon dioxide and three molecules of water. This balances out perfectly since:

• The two carbon atoms from ethanol yield two carbon dioxide molecules.

• The six hydrogen atoms produce three water molecules.

Additionally, oxygen is accounted for, with the three molecules of O2 providing six oxygen atoms, which match the four oxygen atoms from the two molecules of CO2 plus the three from the water, yielding a total of seven.

This correctness of the equation demonstrates a complete combustion process, where all ethanol is combusted fully, producing only carbon dioxide and water—key characteristics