When ethanol (C₂H₅OH) reacts with oxygen (O₂), the products formed are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). This reaction is an example of combustion, a chemical process that releases heat and light energy.

The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

C₂H₅OH + 3O₂ → 2CO₂ + 3H₂O

This means that for every molecule of ethanol, three molecules of oxygen are required to produce two molecules of carbon dioxide and three molecules of water.