[Moneyking]

Explain why it would be difficult to prepare methoxyethane by reacting a mixture of CH3OH and CH3CH2OH with H2SO4. What physical method can be used to prepare the required product?

I know that methoxyethane is C3H8O.

[orgopete]

If you attempted the reaction, would you form dimethyl ether also?

[Borek]

Try to list all possible products.

[Moneyking]

Try to list all possible products.

How can i list the products? is there like an example or tutorial?

[Borek]

How can i list the products? is there like an example or tutorial?

None required, all you need is just some logic.

Do you know anything about the reaction taking place? Anything about mechanism, or at least reaction equation? Can you draw structural formulas of all substances mentioned so far?

[Moneyking]

How can i list the products? is there like an example or tutorial?

None required, all you need is just some logic.

Do you know anything about the reaction taking place? Anything about mechanism, or at least reaction equation? Can you draw structural formulas of all substances mentioned so far?

I can draw the structural formula:
CH3OH:
    H
    |
H-C-OH
    |
    H

C2H5OH:
    H  H
    |  |
H-C-C-OH
    |  |
    H  H

H2SO4:
      O
      ||
H-O-S-O-H
      ||
      O

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

[Borek]

Methoxyethane?

[Moneyking]

Methoxyethane?

    H    H  H
    |     |  |
H-C-O-C-C-H
    |     |  |
    H    H  H

[Borek]

Do you see how methoxyethane can be made from methanol and ethanol?

[Moneyking]

Do you see how methoxyethane can be made from methanol and ethanol?

is that correct?
methanol+ethanol = methoxyethane + H2O

[orgopete]

What would happen if you forgot to add ethanol?

[Moneyking]

What would happen if you forgot to add ethanol?

umm nothing, no reaction would happen... it would still be methanol... right?

[orgopete]

No, the product would be dimethyl ether, CH3OCH3. Do you understand now?

[Moneyking]

No, the product would be dimethyl ether, CH3OCH3. Do you understand now?

how can methanol=dimethyl ether?
i think it should be ethanol=dimethyl ether
am i correct?
because
(ethanol)CH3CH2OH=CH3OCH3
(methanol)CH3OH=CH2OCH2

[orgopete]

Dimethyl ether is the product of methanol plus mineral acid. This is because the oxygen is protonated and becomes a leaving group. The oxygen of another methanol will substitute the protonated oxygen to product water and dimethyl ether. You need to know that is how the reaction works. Therefore, if two different alcohols were used, you would get a mixture.