MHS Chemistry
Common Alcohols

Below are the names and formulas of some common alcohols.  I call them "common" because they are the ones we have in our stockroom, and we might use them during labs such as the Synthesis of Esters.

An alcohol is a molecule made of carbon and hydrogen, with a "hydroxyl" group (—OH) attached to one of the carbon atoms.  The OH group does not have a charge, so it is different from the OH– group in ionic compounds.  "Amyl" is an older word meaning the same thing as "pentyl" does now.  Images are links to the orginating page.

methyl alcohol	CH3—OH
ethyl alcohol	CH3CH2—OH
n-propyl alcohol	CH3(CH2)2—OH	CH3–CH2–CH2–OH
iso-propyl alcohol	(CH3)2CH—OH
n-butyl alcohol	CH3(CH2)3—OH	CH3–CH2–CH2–CH2–OH
sec-butyl alcohol	CH3CH(—OH)CH2CH3
t-butyl alcohol	(CH3)3C—OH
iso-amyl alcohol	(CH3)2CHCH2CH2—OH
n-decyl alcohol	CH3(CH2)9—OH	CH3–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–CH2–OH
[Synthesis of Ester Lab][MHS Chemistry Page]