Ethanol can be produced by reacting ethene with steam - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2013 - Paper 1

Ethanol can be produced from sugar by the fermentation process, which can be described in two main steps:

1. Dissolve sugar in water: The sugar (such as glucose) is dissolved in a water solution.
2. Add yeast and maintain conditions: Yeast is added to the solution, and the mixture is kept at an optimal temperature (between 15°C to 40°C) in an anaerobic environment (to avoid any air or oxygen), allowing fermentation to occur, which ultimately produces ethanol.

This country produces ethanol by fermentation rather than from ethene for several reasons:

1. Resource availability: The country has ample fertile land capable of supporting the growth of plants (such as sugarcane or corn) needed for fermentation.
2. Lack of crude oil: With no reserves of crude oil, the country cannot access conventional methods that involve ethene production, which typically relies on fossil fuel extraction.
3. Economic factors: Fermentation is often considered less expensive for a country without wealth to invest heavily in oil extraction and processing technologies.

The three alcohols mentioned—methanol (CH₃OH), ethanol (C₂H₅OH), and propanol (C₃H₇OH)—are members of the same homologous series due to the following reasons:

1. General formula: They can all be represented by the general formula for alcohols, which is CₙH₂ₙ₊₁OH.
2. Gradation in physical properties: Each successive member differs by a -CH₂- group, indicating a systematic change in their chemical properties.
3. Similar functional group: All three compounds share the hydroxyl (-OH) functional group, which is characteristic of alcohols.