Final answer:
Alcohol reacts with sulfuric acid predominantly in a dehydration reaction to form an alkene and water. The specific outcome and product depend on the alcohol used and reaction conditions, particularly the temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
When alcohol reacts with sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), which acts as a catalyst, the reaction can lead to two different processes: dehydration or esterification. However, without specifying the conditions, such as temperature and the type of alcohol, it is difficult to determine the exact product of the reaction.
At moderate temperatures, concentrated sulfuric acid tends to dehydrate alcohols, forming alkenes. For example, the dehydration reaction of ethanol (C₂H₅OH) with sulfuric acid generates ethene (C₂H₄) and water (H₂O).
On the other hand, esterification occurs when alcohols react with carboxylic acids in the presence of sulfuric acid, producing an ester and water. Nevertheless, in the original question, only alcohol and sulfuric acid are present. Thus, assuming this to be a dehydration reaction, the balanced equation for ethanol would be:
C₂H₅OH → C₂H₄ + H₂O
It's important to note that for different alcohols, the reaction may require different temperatures for dehydration to occur and the corresponding alkene would be different.