Question

Write the structural formulas for as many alcohols as you can think of that have empirical formula \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}\).

Short answer

The two possible isomers of alcohols with the empirical formula \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}\) are: 1. Propanol (Primary alcohol): H–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle+_2\text{H} _\text{OH}\) 2. Isopropanol (Secondary alcohol): H–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle(_\text{OH} _3\text{H}) \)–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} _{_2}\)

Step-by-step solution

Identify the molecular formula from the empirical formula

The empirical formula gives the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms of each element in a compound. In this case, the empirical formula is \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}\). Since alcohols only contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, the molecular formula for these alcohols will be the same as the empirical formula.

Draw structural formulas for different alcohols with the molecular formula

Now, we will draw the structural formulas for different alcohols that have the molecular formula \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}\), considering different positions of the hydroxyl group (-OH) in the molecule. 1. Propanol (Primary alcohol): In this structure, the hydroxyl group is attached to the first carbon atom. Structure: H–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle+_2\text{H} _\text{OH}\) 2. Isopropanol (Secondary alcohol): In this structure, the hydroxyl group is attached to the second carbon atom. Structure: H–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} \)–C\( \displaystyle(_\text{OH} _3\text{H}) \)–C\( \displaystyle\text{H} _{_2}\) These are the two possible isomers of alcohols with the empirical formula \(\mathrm{C}_{3} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}\).