Chapter 6 - Alcohols

Question 1

What is the acidity of alcohols and what happens when more C’s are added

Answer 1

Alcohols are weak acids, adding more carbons decreases acidity
Primary alcohols are most acidic
Smaller = more acidic = more stable = more substituted

Question 2

Why are boiling points of alcohols high?

Answer 2

Alcohol high boiling point is due to higher solubility from high polarity and H bonding

Question 3

Relationship between electrons and acidity

Answer 3

e- taken away = more acidic

e- gained = less acidic

Question 4

What can alcohols be made from

Answer 4

Alcohols can be made from hydration of alkenes
Alcohols can be made from reduction of ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and esters
Aldehydes => primary alcohols
Ketones => secondary alcohols
*tertiary alcohols are the most reactive

Question 5

What makes a good leaving group

Answer 5

A good leaving group has a strong conjugate acid

Eg OH isnt a good leaving group so needs to be protonated so substitution an occur

Question 6

Which alcohol is the strongest acid?
Cl3COH
Cl2CHOH
CH3OH

Answer 6

Cl3COH is the most stable proton donor

Heaviest molecule = strongest acid