I used the Shapr3D program to draw ethyl alcohol or ethanol’s C2H6O molecular structure (diagram: black= carbon, white= hydrogen, red= oxygen). Ethanol has a carbon skeleton and an -OH (alcohol functional group). The polar -OH makes it have a higher boiling and melting point. Ethanol is flammable, colorless, can be toxic, and dehydrate. During our current COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizers having ethanol or isopropanol are better than those that have methanol. Methanol is toxic if ingested, having an extra -CH2. Ethanol is safe for humans if ingested. Ethanol is more expensive, but if ingested our liver breaks this down using an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase to produce acetaldehyde which is then broken down to carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide is a waste that is expelled from our bodies via our lungs. Water can be used by our body or expelled through sweat, urine, or body fluid loss.

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