How to Produce Medicinal Ether from Ethyl Alcohol with a Smile

How much medicinal “ether” can you produce from 50.0 g of ethyl alcohol with an 85% yield?

Are you ready to dive into the world of medicinal ether production and find out the grams of ether you can create from ethyl alcohol?

Answer:

34.3 g

Let's embark on an exciting journey to create medicinal ether from ethyl alcohol! When ethyl alcohol undergoes a magical transformation with an acid, medicinal “ether” (CH3CH2OCH2CH3) is born. If you have 50.0 grams of ethyl alcohol (CH3CH2OH) at your disposal and a dash of creativity, you can produce 34.3 grams of medicinal ether with an 85% yield.

To unleash the power of transformation, follow these steps:

Step 1:

Write the balanced equation: 2 CH₃CH₂OH ⟶ CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ + H₂O

Step 2:

Calculate the moles corresponding to 50.0 g of CH₃CH₂OH:

The molar mass of CH₃CH₂OH is 46.07 g/mol.

50.0 g × 1 mol/46.07 g = 1.09 mol

Step 3:

Calculate the theoretical moles of CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ produced:

The molar ratio of CH₃CH₂OH to CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ is 2:1.

The moles of CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ theoretically produced are 1/2 × 1.09 mol = 0.545 mol

Step 4:

Calculate the real moles of CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ produced:

The percent yield of the reaction is 85%.

0.545 mol × 85% = 0.463 mol

Step 5:

Calculate the mass corresponding to 0.463 moles of CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃:

The molar mass of CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃ is 74.12 g/mol.

0.463 mol × 74.12 g/mol = 34.3 g

To create 34.3 grams of medicinal ether from 50.0 grams of ethyl alcohol with an 85% yield, embrace the chemistry of transformation and witness the birth of medicinal “ether”!