when u add sodium metal to alcohol(consider ethanol),sodium salt of the acid is formed.
during this
process hydrogen is released out.this released hydrogen is known as the acidic hyrdogen.for every 2
molecules of alcohol reacted,one molecule of hydrogen is released out.
plz never do this reaction by urself as it can be explosive.
Alcohol - In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (- O H) is bound to a carbon
atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. The general formula for a simple acyclic alcohol is C n H 2n+1 OH. In
common terms, the word alcohol refers to ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. Ethanol is a
colorless, volatile liquid with a mild odor which can be obtained by the fermentation of sugars. (Industrially, it is more
commonly obtained by ethylene hydration —the reaction of ethylene with water in the presence of phosphoric acid.)
Ethanol is the most widely used depressant in the world, and has been for thousands of years. This sense underlies
the term alcoholism ( addiction to alcohol). Other alcohols are usually described with a clarifying adjective, as in
isopropyl alcohol ( propan-2-ol) or wood alcohol ( methyl alcohol, or methanol). The suffix -ol appears in the 'official'
IUPAC chemical name of all alcohols...
Three-tier (alcohol distribution) - The Three-tier system of alcohol distribution is the system for distributing
alcoholic beverages set up in the United States after the repeal of Prohibition. The three tiers are producers,
distributors, and retailers. The basic premise of the system is that the producer must sell to the distributor..
Alcohol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Of those, ethanol (C2H5OH) is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic
beverages, ... Apart from its familiar role in alcoholic beverages, ethanol is also used as ... For example (CH3)3COH
is a tertiary alcohol is commonly known as tert-butyl alcohol. ...Chemical Formula, IUPAC Name, Common Name.
Monohydric alcohols .....
Physical and chemical properties
Alcohols have an odor that is often described as “biting” and as “hanging” in the nasal passages.
The hydroxyl group generally makes the alcohol molecule polar. Those groups can form hydrogen
bonds to one another and to other compounds (except in certain large molecules where the hydroxyl is
protected by steric hindrance of adjacent groups[4]). This hydrogen bonding means that alcohols can be
used as protic solvents. Two opposing solubility trends in alcohols are: the tendency of the polar OH to
promote solubility in water, and of the carbon chain to resist it. Thus, methanol, ethanol, and propanol are
miscible in water because the hydroxyl group wins out over the short carbon chain. Butanol, with a four-
carbon chain, is moderately soluble because of a balance between the two trends. Alcohols of five or
more carbons (Pentanol and higher) are effectively insoluble in water because of the hydrocarbon chain's
dominance. All simple alcohols are miscible in organic solvents.
Because of hydrogen bonding, alcohols tend to have higher boiling points than
comparable hydrocarbons and ethers. The boiling point of the alcohol ethanol is 78.29 °C, compared to
69 °C for the hydrocarbon Hexane (a common constituent of gasoline), and 34.6 °C for Diethyl ether.
Alcohols, like water, can show either acidic or basic properties at the O-H group. With a pKa of around 16-
19 they are generally slightly weaker acids than water, but they are still able to react with strong bases
such as sodium hydride or reactive metals such as sodium. Thesalts that result are called alkoxides, with
the general formula RO- M+.
Meanwhile the oxygen atom has lone pairs of nonbonded electrons that render it weakly basic in the
presence of strong acids such assulfuric acid. For example, with methanol:
Alcohols can also undergo oxidation to give aldehydes, ketones or carboxylic acids, or they can be
dehydrated to alkenes. They can react to form ester compounds, and they can (if activated first)
undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions. The lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen of the hydroxyl
group also makes alcohols nucleophiles. For more details see the reactions of alcohols section below.
As one moves from primary to secondary to tertiary alcohols with the same backbone, the hydrogen bond
strength, the boiling point,and the acidity typically decrease.
Applications
Total recorded alcohol per capita consumption (15+), in litres of pure alcohol[5]
Alcohols can be used as a beverage (ethanol only), as fuel and for many scientific, medical, and industrial
utilities. Ethanol in the form of alcoholic beverages has been consumed by humans since pre-historic
times. A 50% v/v solution of ethylene glycol in water is commonly used as an antifreeze.
Some alcohols, mainly ethanol and methanol, can be used as an alcohol fuel. Fuel performance can be
increased in forced induction internal combustion engines by injecting alcohol into the air intake after
the turbocharger or supercharger has pressurized the air. This cools the pressurized air, providing a
denser air charge, which allows for more fuel, and therefore more power.
Alcohols have applications in industry and science as reagents or solvents. Because of its low toxicity and
ability to dissolve non-polar substances, ethanol can be used as a solvent in medical drugs, perfumes,
and vegetable essences such as vanilla. In organic synthesis, alcohols serve as versatile intermediates.
Ethanol can be used as an antiseptic to disinfect the skin before injections are given, often along with
iodine. Ethanol-based soaps are becoming common in restaurants and are convenient because they do
not require drying due to the volatility of the compound. Alcohol is also used as a preservative for
specimens.
Alcohol gels have become common as hand sanitizers.
