Classification of Alcohols

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Primary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom with no alkyl groups or bonded to one alkyl group.

Methanol and butan-1-ol are both primary alcohols. Methanol has an OH group attached to a carbon atom with no alkyl groups. Butan-1-ol has an OH group attached to a carbon with one CH3CH2CH2 alkyl group.

structural formula (http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/huss7d2/img/formula.gif)

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Secondary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom bonded to two alkyl groups.

Propan-2-ol is a secondary alcohol, as it has an OH group attached to a carbon atom with two CH3 alkyl groups.

2-methylpropan-1-ol Isomer of Butanol (http://www.gcsescience.com/2-methylpropan-1-ol.gif)

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Tertiary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom bonded to three alkyl groups.

(http://www.roymech.co.uk/images/2-methylpropanol.gif)

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