Physical properties
Point 7 of 14 — Lesson 5: Hydrocarbon Derivatives – Alcohols and PhenolsQuestion bank: 1 questions (1 with pictures)
07 Physical properties
- Alcohols are neutral, colourless compounds.
- The first members are light liquids, completely miscible with water; the middle members are oily; the higher ones are waxy solids.
- Compared with alkanes of similar molecular mass, alcohols have high boiling points and (the lower members) high solubility in water.
- Both effects are due to the polar –OH group, which forms hydrogen bonds between alcohol molecules themselves and between alcohol and water molecules.
- Boiling points: ethanol 78.5 °C; ethylene glycol 197 °C.
- As the number of –OH groups rises, the number of hydrogen bonds rises, and so do solubility and boiling point.
- (Order of boiling point: ethanol < ethylene glycol < glycerol < sorbitol.)
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