What is the chemical name for ethyl alcohol?

The chemical name for ethyl alcohol is ethanol. It is an organic compound with two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom, written as C2H5OH or C2H6O.

Ethanol belongs to the alcohol family because it contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon atom. The prefix “eth-” identifies its two-carbon structure, while “-ol” signals the alcohol functional group. “Ethyl alcohol” is a common name for exactly the same substance.

Ethanol is produced naturally when yeast ferments sugars, which explains its role in beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. It is also manufactured industrially from ethylene and used in fuels, solvents, disinfectants, medicines, and laboratory work.

A common mix-up is confusing ethanol with methanol. Methanol is also an alcohol, but it has one carbon atom and is highly poisonous if consumed. In everyday speech, “alcohol” often means ethanol, although chemistry uses the word for a much broader class of compounds.