Alcohol (T)

• What are the main uses of alcohols?

  As fuels and solvents
• What are the first four alcohols that students need to learn the names and structures of?

  • Methanol (1 carbon)
  • Ethanol (2 carbons)
  • Propanol (3 carbons)
  • Butanol (4 carbons)
• What is the significance of the alcohol functional group in alcohols?

  It defines alcohols and is consistent across all members of the homologous series
• What is the structural formula for methanol?

  CH₃OH
• How is the name of each alcohol related to the name of the corresponding alkane?

  The alcohol name is based on the alkane name with a modified suffix
• What is one method to produce ethanol?

  Hydration of ethine
• What is an advantage of producing ethanol by hydrating ethine?

  It produces a high yield of ethanol
• What is a disadvantage of producing ethanol by hydrating ethine?

  It requires high temperatures and uses non-renewable ethine
• What is the second method to produce ethanol?

  Fermentation
• What are the conditions required for fermentation to produce ethanol?

  A sugar solution, yeast, around 30°C, and anaerobic conditions
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of producing ethanol by fermentation?

  Advantages:

  • Low temperature reduces energy requirements
  • Sugar source is renewable

  
  

  Disadvantage:

  • Product is an aqueous solution requiring purification
• Why is the purification of ethanol after fermentation necessary?

  To separate ethanol from water and obtain pure ethanol
• What is the role of yeast in the fermentation process?

  Yeast converts sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide