Alcohol | Definition, Formula, Facts | Britannica Alcohol, any of a class of organic compounds with one or more hydroxyl groups attached to a carbon atom of an alkyl group Alcohols may be considered as organic derivatives of water (H2O) in which a hydrogen atom has been replaced by an alkyl group Examples include ethanol, methanol, and isopropyl alcohol
Structure and classification of alcohols - Encyclopedia Britannica One way of classifying alcohols is based on which carbon atom is bonded to the hydroxyl group If this carbon is primary (1°, bonded to only one other carbon atom), the compound is a primary alcohol A secondary alcohol has the hydroxyl group on a secondary (2°) carbon atom, which is bonded to two other carbon atoms
Alcohol - Reactions, Chemistry, Uses | Britannica The most common reactions of alcohols can be classified as oxidation, dehydration, substitution, esterification, and reactions of alkoxides Alcohols may be oxidized to give ketones, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids
Physical properties of alcohols - Encyclopedia Britannica Alcohol - Boiling Point, Solubility, Flammability: Most of the common alcohols are colourless liquids at room temperature Methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol are free-flowing liquids with fruity odours
Characteristics of alcohol | Britannica Ethanol (grain alcohol) and methanol (wood alcohol) are the best-known alcohols with one hydroxyl group Glycols (e g , ethylene glycol, or antifreeze) contain two hydroxyl groups, glycerol three, and polyols three or more
Alcohol - Fermentation, Synthesis, Distillation | Britannica Alcohol - Fermentation, Synthesis, Distillation: The common sources of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol have been discussed above Larger, more complicated alcohols are often isolated from volatile oils of plants by the process of steam distillation
Alcohol - Ethanol, Methanol, Propanol | Britannica chemical compound: Alcohols and phenols Methanol has a high octane rating and a low emission of pollutants—characteristics that make it a valuable fuel for automobile engines From the late 1960s until 2006, the cars at the Indianapolis 500 , the automobile race held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, were powered by methanol
Alcohol - Esterification, Chemistry, Reactions | Britannica Alcohol - Esterification, Chemistry, Reactions: Alcohols can combine with many kinds of acids to form esters When no type of acid is specified, the word ester is assumed to mean a carboxylic ester, the ester of an alcohol and a carboxylic acid
Chemical industry - Alcohols, Derivatives, Synthesis | Britannica Methanol (CH 3 OH) is the simplest of the alcohols The next number of the series, called either ethanol or ethyl alcohol (CH 3 CH 2 OH), has two carbon atoms It is most familiar as the active constituent of fermented beverages, but it is also widely used in industry