(a) Ethanol can be converted into ethene by the dehydration reaction.
The chemical equation for the above reaction is as follows:
CH3-CH2OH → CH2=CH2 + H2O
When ethanol is heated with concentrated sulphuric acid at 170oC, ethanol gets dehydrated to form ethene, an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Concentrated sulphuric acid acts as the dehydrating agent in this reaction.
(b) Propanol is converted into propanoic acid by the oxidation reaction.
The chemical equation for the above reaction is as follows:
CH3-CH2-CH2-OH → CH3CH2COOH
Propanol is oxidised to propanoic acid in the presence of alkaline potassium permanganate solution (alkaline KMnO4). Alkaline potassium permanganate solution acts as an oxidising agent as it adds oxygen to convert propanol to propanoic acid.