SHEET /vs/ethanol-vs-methanol · COMPARISON
Ethanol vs Methanol: what is the difference?
How they differ
from source
One carbon separates them, C2H6O against CH4O, and that single carbon is the difference between an intoxicant and a poison. The body oxidises both with the same enzymes. Ethanol becomes acetaldehyde and then acetic acid, which the body handles routinely. Methanol becomes formaldehyde and then formic acid, which attacks the optic nerve and drives the acidosis that makes methanol poisoning dangerous. The listed oral LD50 values are similar, both near 5628 mg/kg in rats, which is exactly why the LD50 is a poor guide here: the danger is what the metabolites do, not the parent molecule. Methanol is present in tiny amounts in fermented drinks and is the reason improperly distilled spirits are hazardous.
Side by side
| Ethanol | Methanol | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C2H6O | CH4O |
| Molecular weight | 46.07 g/mol | 32.04 g/mol |
| Family | Alcohols | Alcohols |
| Everyday group | Food & flavor | Everyday chemistry |
| Functional groups | Alcohols | Alcohols |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Danger |
| Oral LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 5,628 mg/kg (oral, rat) | 5,628 mg/kg (oral, rat) |
| Found in | Beer, Wine, Spirits, Bread, Soy sauce | Wine, Spirits |
| CAS number | 64-17-5 | 67-56-1 |
| PubChem CID | 702 | 887 |
Common questions
- What is the difference between Ethanol and Methanol?
- One carbon separates them, C2H6O against CH4O, and that single carbon is the difference between an intoxicant and a poison. The body oxidises both with the same enzymes. Ethanol becomes acetaldehyde and then acetic acid, which the body handles routinely.
- Is Ethanol bigger than Methanol?
- Ethanol is the heavier molecule, 46.07 g/mol against 32.04 g/mol for Methanol. Ethanol is C2H6O and Methanol is CH4O.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Ethanol or Methanol?
- Methanol, at 5,628 mg/kg (oral, rat), against 5,628 mg/kg (oral, rat) for Ethanol. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.