The table below gives some data about members of a homologous series of compounds called the primary alcohols.
| Alcohol | Molecular formula | Relative formula mass | Boiling point in ∘C^\circ\text{C}∘C |
|---|---|---|---|
| methanol | CH3OH\text{CH}_3\text{OH}CH3OH | 32 | 65 |
| ethanol | C2H5OH\text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH}C2H5OH | 78 | |
| propan-1-ol | C3H7OH\text{C}_3\text{H}_7\text{OH}C3H7OH | 60 | 97 |
| butan-1-ol | 74 | 118 | |
| pentan-1-ol | C5H11OH\text{C}_5\text{H}_{11}\text{OH}C5H11OH | 88 | |
| hexan-1-ol | C6H13OH\text{C}_6\text{H}_{13}\text{OH}C6H13OH | 102 | 157 |
Complete the table by:
What does the data show about the relationship between boiling point and relative formula mass?
The molecular formula of ethene is C2H4\text{C}_2\text{H}_4C2H4. Ethanol and ethene belong to different homologous series. Explain how the formulae of these compounds show that they are in different series.
Draw the displayed formulae for the two isomeric alcohols with the molecular formula C3H8O\text{C}_3\text{H}_8\text{O}C3H8O.
What is the name given to compounds that have the same molecular formula but different displayed/structural formulae?
Under suitable conditions, ethanol can be dehydrated to form ethene and water.
Write a chemical equation for this dehydration reaction.
What is the name given to this type of reaction (other than dehydration)?
Suggest a catalyst needed for this reaction.
