Alcohols

An oxygen-hydrogen group covalently bonded to a carbon atom is called a hydroxyl group (-OH). An organic compound in which a hydroxyl group replaces a hydrogen atom of a hydrocarbon is called an alcohol. As shown in the image below, the general formula for an alcohol is ROH. The image below also illustrates the relationship of the simplest alkane, methane, to the simplest alcohol, methanol.

The steps to naming an alcohol are:

- Number the parent chain starting from the carbon that is closer to hydroxyl grou. (-OH)

- Write the number of the position(s) of the hydroxyl groups.

- Write the name of the parent chain changi the -e ending with -ol ending.

- When you have multiple -OH groups Write a prefix di-, tri-, tetra, before the ol ending keeping the entire name of the alkane.