The combustion of ethanol (C₂H₅OH) can be represented by the following chemical equation:
\[ C_2H_5OH + 3O_2 \rightarrow 2CO_2 + 3H_2O \]
In this equation, one molecule of ethanol reacts with three molecules of oxygen (O₂) to produce two molecules of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and three molecules of water (H₂O). This reaction is exothermic and releases energy in the form of heat and light.