What is the chemical formula for ethanol?

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Multiple Choice

What is the chemical formula for ethanol?

Explanation:
Ethanol’s formula comes from its two-carbon backbone plus a hydroxyl group. The molecule is structured as CH3-CH2-OH, which corresponds to a molecular formula of C2H6O. A common condensed way to write it is C2H5OH, which is exactly the same composition and highlights the hydroxyl attachment. That’s why this formula matches ethanol. The other formulas represent entirely different molecules: CH4 is methane, C6H12O6 is glucose, and C3H8 is propane, all with different carbon counts and structures. So the formula for ethanol is C2H5OH (or equivalently C2H6O).

Ethanol’s formula comes from its two-carbon backbone plus a hydroxyl group. The molecule is structured as CH3-CH2-OH, which corresponds to a molecular formula of C2H6O. A common condensed way to write it is C2H5OH, which is exactly the same composition and highlights the hydroxyl attachment. That’s why this formula matches ethanol. The other formulas represent entirely different molecules: CH4 is methane, C6H12O6 is glucose, and C3H8 is propane, all with different carbon counts and structures. So the formula for ethanol is C2H5OH (or equivalently C2H6O).

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