Ethene is formed when ethanol at 443 K is heated with an excess of concentrated sulphuric acid. The role of sulphuric acid in this reaction is :
A
it acts as an acid
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B
it acts as a dehydrating agent
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C
it acts as an oxidising agent
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D
none of these
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Solution
The correct option is B it acts as a dehydrating agent The balanced chemical equation for the reaction can be written as: CH3CH2OH443K−−−−−−−→conc.H2SO4CH2=CH2+H2O Therefore, concentrated sulphuric acid removes water from ethanol, thereby, acting as a dehydrating agent .