Alcohols

Question 1

How do you identify alcohols?

Answer 1

Alkane containing a hydroxyl group (-OH)

Question 2

What is the general formula for alcohols?

Answer 2

CnH2n+1OH

Question 3

How do you name alcohols?

Answer 3

Write the root for the longest carbon chain, followed by ‘anol’.

If there are three or more carbons in the longest carbon chain, we give a position number

Question 4

How do you classify alcohols as primary, secondary or tertiary?

Answer 4

Look at the carbon atom that’s bonded to the hydroxyl group and count the number of carbons bonded to that atom

Primary = bonded to one other carbon
Secondary = bonded to two other carbons
Tertiary = bonded to three other carbons

Question 5

What makes a molecule a diol?

Answer 5

When there are two hydroxyl groups

Question 6

How do you name a diol?

Answer 6

Write the full name of the longest carbon chain,
Write the ‘diol’,
For all diols apart from methanediol, write the position numbers of both hydroxyls