Question

Write the chemical formula and name of the compound which is the active ingredient of all alcoholic drinks. List its two uses.

Answer 1

Alcohols:

• Alcohols are derivatives of hydrocarbon that contains a hydroxyl functional group $\left(-\mathrm{OH}\right)$.
• They are generally denoted as $\mathrm{R}-\mathrm{OH}$ where $\mathrm{R}$ stands for an alkyl group.

The active ingredient of alcoholic drinks:

• The active ingredient of all alcoholic drinks is Ethanol and its common name is Ethyl alcohol.
• Ethanol is an organic compound with the chemical formula ${\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_5\mathrm{OH}$
• Ethanol is the primary alcohol that is colourless, volatile, and flammable in nature and is naturally produced during the fermentation of sugars by yeast.

Uses of Ethanol:

• Ethanol is used as an antiseptic and disinfecting agent due to its antimicrobial nature and thus is widely used in hand sanitizers and disinfectants.
• Ethanol is extensively used as a solvent in various perfume and pharmaceutical industries as it is easily soluble in water and other organic compounds due to the presence of a non-polar ethyl group.