This memory aid covers Memory Aid: OH = Alcohol, -anol Ending within Alcohols for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Alcohols in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 10 of 13 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
Topic position
Section 10 of 13
Practice
20 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
🧠 Memory Aid: OH = Alcohol, -anol Ending
Two simple rules to remember alcohols:
- Functional group = -OH (hydroxyl) — always at the end of the chain
- Naming = same prefix as alkane + "-anol" ending
First four (same prefixes as alkanes):
MEPB + anol: Meth-anol, Eth-anol, Prop-anol, But-anol
For fermentation vs hydration: Fermentation = renewable, slow, low purity. Hydration = fossil fuel, fast, high purity. Think: the traditional (old) way (fermentation) is slow; the industrial (modern) way (hydration) is fast.