This deep dive covers Reactions of Alcohols within Alcohols for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Alcohols in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 22 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 6 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
⚗️ Reactions of Alcohols
1. Complete Combustion (Clean Burning)
C₂H₅OH(l) + 3O₂(g) → 2CO₂(g) + 3H₂O(l)
Exothermic — burns with a clean, almost colourless flame
Exothermic — burns with a clean, almost colourless flame
2. Oxidation to Carboxylic Acids
C₂H₅OH + 2[O] → CH₃COOH + H₂O
Using oxidising agents; this is what happens when wine turns to vinegar
Using oxidising agents; this is what happens when wine turns to vinegar
Practice questions for Alcohols
What is the functional group present in all alcohols?
Explain what happens when ethanol reacts with sodium metal. Include a balanced equation in your answer.
Quick recall flashcards
What is hydration of ethene?
Adding water to ethene to produce ethanol: C₂H₄ + H₂O → C₂H₅OH
What are alcohols?
Organic compounds containing the -OH hydroxyl functional group