Alcohols

Why do alcohols have greater water solubility and are less volatile than alkanes?

Less volatile - more energy is needed to break the hydrogen bonds then weak london forces

Greater solubility - H bonds can form between OH group and water molecules

What happens to solubility as chain length increases?

solubility decreases as influence of OH groups becomes smaller

Difference between primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols?

Primary - 1 alkyl group + 2 hydrogen

Secondary - 2 alkyl group + 1 hydrogen

Tertiary - 3 alkyl groups

oxidation of primary alcohols

-produces either aldehyde or carboxylic acid

-potassium dichromate used to heat alcohol (under reflux for carboxylic acid) then reacted with oxidising agent

oxidation of secondary alcohols

forms ketones - orange to green colour change

dehydration of alcohols

forms alkenes

substitution of halide ions in alcohols

forms haloalkanes