# What is the difference between Ethyl alcohol and Isopropol alcohol?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-ethyl-alcohol-and-isopropol-alcohol/245107>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 14, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-ethyl-alcohol-and-isopropol-alcohol/245107 "2004-05-14T14:17:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![biddee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@biddee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biddee)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-ethyl-alcohol-and-isopropol-alcohol/245107/1 "2004-05-14T14:17:10Z")

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And how is each made?

TIA

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**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-ethyl-alcohol-and-isopropol-alcohol/245107/2 "2004-05-14T14:26:48Z")

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They’re different molecules. Here’s [Ethanol](http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/mcmurrygob/medialib/media_portfolio/text_images/FG14_01-08UN.JPG) it’s a two-carbon molecule.  
Here’s [Isolpropanol](http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/mcmurrygob/medialib/media_portfolio/text_images/FG14_01-10UN.JPG) it’s a three carbn molecule with an hyrdoxyl (that’s an oxygen connected to a htdrogen) on teh middle carbon.

The differences give them different chemical properties.