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Ethanol

Alcohols have the hydroxyl group OH on the carbon chain. Ethanol is the alcohol with two carbons, and the formula can be written C2H5OH or C2H6O. The functional group makes ethanol dissolve well in water, because OH can form hydrogen bonds. The molar mass is calculated from the atomic masses C 12.01, H 1.008 and O 16.00, with every atom counted. The ending -ol in the name tells you that it is an alcohol. Methanol has one carbon, propanol three.

M = 2M(\mathrm{C}) + 6M(\mathrm{H}) + M(\mathrm{O})

molar mass of C2H6O

Symbols

$C$	12.01	g/mol
$H$	1.008	g/mol
$O$	16.00	g/mol

Example

Ethanol, C2H6O:

$M = 2 \cdot 12.01 + 6 \cdot 1.008 + 16.00 \approx 46.07$ g/mol.

C2H6O can also be an ether. The structure, not the formula alone, decides whether it is ethanol.

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