Ethanol is manufactured on an industrial scale using two primary pathways: the fermentation of glucose and the direct hydration of ethene.
Which statement correctly compares these two methods of alcohol production?
The fermentation of glucose has a 100%100\%100% atom economy because all carbon atoms from the glucose feedstock are incorporated into the final ethanol molecules.
Direct hydration of ethene has a faster rate of reaction and 100%100\%100% atom economy, but utilizes non-renewable resources.
Direct hydration is preferred over fermentation because it is a low-energy batch process operating under mild atmospheric conditions.
Fermentation is highly efficient because yeast enzymes produce high-purity ethanol directly, eliminating the need for fractional distillation.
13 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Chemistry Alcohols, covering Alcohol production, Oxidation of alcohols, and Elimination. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.