Unit 2 - Topic 2 - Alcohols

Alcohol is a flammable liquid. An apparatus can be used to identify the products of combustion of ethanol.

Ethanol

The – O-H group of atoms is called the HYDROXYL GROUP. This is called the functional group as it gives the molecule the chemical properties of an alcohol.

Whether there is a single or double carbon to carbon bond That it contains a hydroxyl group How many carbon atoms there are

Alkanols

Ethanol is a flammable liquid, which burns to produce water and carbon dioxide. Ethanol is a covalent liquid. It is neutral and miscible in water. Ethanol is a good solvent.

Colourless liquid

Mild smell

Insulator

Miscible

Neutral

Soluble

Soluble

Soluble

Ethanol has a similar structure to water. This is why it is miscible in water H atom in H2O atom is substituted with an ethyl group

Ethanol (industrial alcohol) is made in the petrochemical industry by adding water (steam) across the C=C bond in ethene. This reaction is called HYDRATION.

CnH2n+1OH

As the number of carbon atoms in the alkanol molecule increase, the boiling point increases. The alkanols have similar chemical properties and have a general formula showing they are a homologous series. As alkanols increase in size their melting and boiling points increase due to the increasing strength of intermolecular forces.

Alkanol molecules form isomers; therefore the name has to describe the structure. The naming rules learned for hydrocarbons apply except the molecule name ends in – OL.

That it mixes with water

That it does not mix with water

Methanol, ethanol, and propanol are all miscible with water, thereafter the solubility decreases as the size increases.

.