Why concentrated Sulphuric acid is used in the process of dehydration of alcohol?

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Solution

Dehydration reaction: A dehydration reaction is a reaction in which a loss of water molecules takes place from the reactant.
Reasons for concentrated sulphuric acid being used for dehydration of alcohol:
Concentrated sulphuric acid is used for the dehydration of alcohol because sulphuric acid is a strong oxidizing agent.
It also has a strong affinity toward water thus absorbing water.
When concentrated sulphuric acid reacts with alcohol, it oxides some alcohol to carbon dioxide and reduces itself to sulphur dioxide.
These two gases are then removed from the alkenes as alcohol on losing water molecules forms alkenes.

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Similar questions

(a) Name the process used for the large scale manufacture of sulphuric acid.
(b) Which property of sulphuric acid accounts for its use as a dehydrating agent?
(c) Concentrated sulphuric acid is both an oxidising agent and a non-volatile acid. Write one equation each to illustrate the properties of sulphuric acid mentioned above.

(c) (i) Name the process used for the large scale manufacture of sulphuric acid.
(ii) Which property of sulphuric acid accounts for its use as a dehydrating agent?
(iii) Concentrated sulphuric acid is both an oxidizing agent and non-volatile acid. Write one equation each to illustrate the above mentioned properties of sulphuric acid.

Why is hot concentrated Sulphuric acid not used in the preparation of Hydrogen ?

Which concentrated acid oxidises sulphur directly to sulphuric acid? Write the equation for the same. What is the name of the process by which sulphuric acid is manufactured? Name the catalyst used in the process.

Q. Aside from concentrated sulphuric acid,what other acid is employed in the dehydration of alcohols?

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