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This lesson covers three important homologous series of organic compounds — alcohols, carboxylic acids, and esters — as required by the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification (5.8.2). This is Higher Tier only [H] content. You need to know the functional groups, names, properties, and reactions of these compounds.
Alcohols are organic compounds that contain the hydroxyl functional group (–OH). The general formula for alcohols is CnH2n+1OH (sometimes written as CnH2n+2O).
| Name | Molecular Formula | Structural Formula | Number of Carbons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methanol | CH3OH | CH3OH | 1 |
| Ethanol | C2H5OH | CH3CH2OH | 2 |
| Propanol | C3H7OH | CH3CH2CH2OH | 3 |
All alcohol names end in -ol.
Exam Tip: [H] The functional group of alcohols is –OH (hydroxyl). When drawing displayed formulae, make sure the –OH group is clearly shown bonded to a carbon atom. Do not confuse it with the hydroxide ion (OH-) found in alkalis.
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