Alcohols 🍻

• What are alcohols?

  Alcohols are organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group attached to a carbon atom. They have a general formula of CnH2n+1OH
• comparison in physical melting points between alcohols and alkanes?

  • Alkanes= hydrogen and carbon= similar electronegativity= non polar molecules therefore weak london forces (Intermolecular forces)
  • alcohols= electronegativity between O and H= different therefore polar= stronger hydrogen bonds= higher melting points
• how does hydrogen bonds look between two ethanol molecules?


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• comparison in volatility and boiling point of alkanes and alcohols?

  in liquid state= alcohols held together by hydrogen bonds- more energy required to break these than the weak London forces in alkanes therefore more volatile
• comparison of solubility in water of alkanes and alcohols?

  hydrogen bonds= allow compounds to be more soluble than a compound without H bonds

  • alkanes= non polar= cant form H bonds with water

  the longer the hydrocarbon chain= less influence by the-OH group therefore solubility decreases
• what is a primary, secondary and tertiary alcohol?

  Primary: the -OH is attached to the carbon atom that’s attached to 2 hydrogen and 1 alkyl group Secondary: the -OH is attached to the carbon atom that is attached to 1 hydrogen atom and 2 alkyl groups Tertiary: the -OH is attached to the carbon atom attached to No hydrogen atoms and 3 alkyl groups
• combustion of alcohol?


  burn in plentiful oxygen and combust completely- producing carbon dioxide and water