Joseph Louis Gay-LussacJoseph Louis Gay-Lussac (6 December 1778 – 9 May 1850) was a French chemist and physicist. He is known mostly for his discovery that water is made of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen by volume (with Alexander von Humboldt), for two laws related to gases, and for his work on alcohol–water mixtures, which led to the degrees Gay-Lussac used to measure alcoholic beverages in many countries.
Chemical polarityIn chemistry, polarity is a separation of electric charge leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole moment, with a negatively charged end and a positively charged end. Polar molecules must contain one or more polar bonds due to a difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms. Molecules containing polar bonds have no molecular polarity if the bond dipoles cancel each other out by symmetry.
Ethanol fermentationEthanol fermentation, also called alcoholic fermentation, is a biological process which converts sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose into cellular energy, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide as by-products. Because yeasts perform this conversion in the absence of oxygen, alcoholic fermentation is considered an anaerobic process.
Alcoholic beverageDrink with a substantial ethanol contentA selection of alcoholic drinks (from left to right): red wine, malt whisky, lager, sparkling wine, lager, cherry liqueur and red wineAlcoholic beverages and production relationshipsAn alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink or strong drink) is any drink that contains alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are typically divided into three classes: beers, wines, and spirits; with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%.
Alcohol (drug)Clinical dataPronunciationOther namesAbsolute alcohol; alcohol (USPTooltip United States Pharmacopeia); cologne spirit; drinking alcohol; ethanol (JANTooltip Japanese Accepted Name); ethylic alcohol; EtOH; ethyl alcohol; ethyl hydrate; ethyl hydroxide; ethylol; grain alcohol; hydroxyethane; methylcarbinolPregnancycategoryX (Contraindicated in pregnancy)DependenceliabilityModerateAddictionliabilityModerate (10–15%)Routes ofadministrationCommon: By mouthUncommon: Inhalation, ophthalmic, insufflation, rectal, injectionDrug classDepressant; anxiolytic; analgesic; euphoriant; sedative; emetic; diuretic; general anestheticATC codeV03AZ01 (WHO) Legal statusLegal statusAU: UnscheduledBR:UnscheduledCA: UnscheduledDE: UnscheduledNZ: UnscheduledUK:General sales list (GSL, OTC)US: UnscheduledUN: UnscheduledSE: Age-restricted In general: Legal for recreational use, except in Muslim countries of the Middle East and parts of North Africa and South AsiaPharmacokinetic dataBioavailability80%+Protein bindingWeakly or not at allMetabolismLiver (90%):• Alcohol dehydrogenase• MEOS (CYP2E1)MetabolitesAcetaldehyde; acetic acid; acetyl-CoA; carbon dioxide; water; ethyl glucuronide; ethyl sulfateOnset of actionPeak concentrations:• Range: 30–90 minutes• Mean: 45–60 minutes• Fasting: 30 minutesElimination half-lifeConstant-rate elimination at typical concentrations:• Range: 10–34 mg/dL/hour• Mean: 15-18 mg/dL/hrAt very high concentrations (t1/2): 4.0–4.5 hoursDuration of action6–16 hours (amount of time that levels are detectable)Excretion• Major: metabolism (into carbon dioxide and water)• Minor: urine, breath, sweat (5–10%)IdentifiersIUPAC nameethanolCAS Number64-17-5PubChemCID702IUPHAR/BPS2299DrugBankDB00898ChemSpider682UNII3K9958V90MKEGGD00068ChEBICHEBI:16236ChEMBLChEMBL545PDB ligandEOH (PDBe, RCSB PDB)Chemical and physical dataFormulaC2H6OMolar mass46.069 g·mol3D model (JSmol)Interactive imageDensity0.7893 g/cm (at 20 °C)Melting point−114.14 ± 0.03 °C (−173.45 ± 0.05 °F) Boiling point78.24 ± 0.09 °C (172.83 ± 0.16 °F) Solubility in waterMiscible mg/mL (20 °C)SMILESCCOInChIInChI=1S/C2H6O/c1-2-3/h3H,2H2,1H3Key:LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-NAlcohol, sometimes referred to by the chemical name ethanol, is the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits (hard liquor).
International Organization of Legal MetrologyThe International Organization of Legal Metrology (French: Organisation Internationale de Métrologie Légale - OIML), is an intergovernmental organisation that was created in 1955 to promote the global harmonisation of the legal metrology procedures that underpin and facilitate international trade.
United KingdomCountry in northwestern EuropeThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024.
United StatesCountry primarily in North AmericaThe United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
Ethanol (data page)This page provides supplementary chemical data on ethanol.
International Standard AtmosphereThe International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) is a static atmospheric model of how the pressure, temperature, density, and viscosity of the Earth's atmosphere change over a wide range of altitudes or elevations. It has been established to provide a common reference for temperature and pressure and consists of tables of values at various altitudes, plus some formulas by which those values were derived.Partial molar propertyIn thermodynamics, a partial molar property is a quantity which describes the variation of an extensive property of a solution or mixture with changes in the molar composition of the mixture at constant temperature and pressure. It is the partial derivative of the extensive property with respect to the amount (number of moles) of the component of interest. Every extensive property of a mixture has a corresponding partial molar property.
FranceCountry primarily in Western EuropeFrance, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.