How it is formed
1. ethanol => ethanoic acid
2. methanoic acid => sodium acetate
3. methane => chloro methane
[o] [o]
1) CH3CH2OH → CH3CHO → CH3COOH
NaCl
2) CH3COOH → CH3COONa + HCl
Cl2
3) CH4 → CH3Cl
hν
When ethanol is heated at 443 K with excess concentrated sulphuric acid it gives: