Everything Science Grade 12

CHAPTER 1. ORGANICMOLECULES 1.8

1.

H C

H

H

C

CH 3

H

C C H

2. C 2 H 2

3. CH 3 CH 2 CCH

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(1.) 01ny (2.) 01nz (3.) 01p0

1.8 The Alcohols

ESCU

An alcohol is any organic compound where there is a hydroxyl functional group (-OH)

bound to a carbon atom. The general formula for a simple alcohol is CnH 2 n+1OH.

The simplest and most commonly used alcoholsare methanol and ethanol (figure 1.20).

CH H

OH

H

(a)

H C C H

H

H

OH

H

H

(b)

Figure 1.20: (a) methanol and (b) ethanol

The alcohols have a number of different uses:

• methylated spirits (surgical spirits) is a form of ethanol where methanolhas been
  added


• ethanol is used in alcoholic drinks


• ethanol is used as an industrial solvent