Unit 2-Alcohols

Question 1

What do all alcohols contain?

Answer 1

hydroxyl functional group

Question 2

What can alcohols be classed as depending on the position of the hydroxyl group?

Answer 2

primary secondary tertiary

Question 3

What are alcohols isomers of?

Answer 3

the comparable ether e.g. ethanol and methoxymethane

Question 4

What type of intermolecular bonding do all alcohols contain?

Answer 4

hydrogen bonding

Question 5

What effect does the presence of hydrogen bonding in alcohols have on the boiling point?

Answer 5

alcohols have higher boiling point than other organic compounds of comparable mass and shape

Question 6

What does the polar hydroxyl groups allow alcohols to be in terms of miscibility with water?

Answer 6

allows it to be miscible in water but solubility decreases as the length of the carbon chain increases

Question 7

State 2 methods of preparing alcohols.

Answer 7

hydration of alkenes

nucleophilic substitution of haloalkanes

Question 8

State possible reactions of alcohols.

Answer 8

Combustion

Dehydration to form alkenes

Oxidation:

a) Primary → aldehyde → carboxlic acid
b) Secondary → ketone

Tertiary → does not oxidise

Reaction with carboxylic acids or acid chlorides to form esters

Reaction with alkali metals to form alkoxide ions → ethers

Question 9

What do alcohols react with alkali metals to produce?

Answer 9

alkoxide ion and hydrogen gas