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Because the structure is intermediate between water and hydrocarbon. Chemical reactivity is determined by structure. It does what it does because of what it is, it is "kinda like" water it "acts somewhat like water ", it is somewhat like a hydrocarbon it acts like or chemically reacts somewhat like a hydrocarbon.

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What is the difference between alochol and oil?

Both alcohols and oil are organic compounds. The hydrocarbons in crude oil are mostly alkanes, cycloalkanes and various aromatic hydrocarbons, and tend not to contain oxygen, nitrogen, etc. Alcohols DO contain oxygen, in the form of the functional -OH alcoholic group. Alcohols are more reactive than the compounds in oil.


How are alcohols different from hydrocarbons?

They've got an oxygen atom between the carbon backbone (or atom, in the case of methanol) and a hydrogen atom at one or more points. This pair of atoms, an oxygen and a hydrogen, is called a hydroxyl group. There are a LOT of different alcohols. Some have only one hydroxyl group. These are the monohydric alcohols, of which there are three: methanol, ethanol and isopropanol. Some have two, and these are the diols. The glycols are diols. Alcohols with three hydroxyl groups are triols. Glycerol is a triol. The final group are the polyols, which have more than three hydroxyls - in most cases thousands of them. Most polyols are used to make plastic.


What hetero atoms are present in alcohols?

There can be a number of different heteroatoms depending on which alcohol it is. The heteroatom that would be common between all alcohols is oxygen.


What kind of bonds do alcohols form between individual molecules?

Alcohols can form hydrogen bonds between individual molecules. These hydrogen bonds are attractions between the partially positive hydrogen atom of one molecule and the partially negative oxygen atom of another molecule. This plays a significant role in the physical and chemical properties of alcohols.


Are semimetals good conductors of heat?

Semimetals are fair conductors of heat, as their thermal conductivity falls between that of metals and insulators. They have intermediate values due to their intermediate structural properties and electronic band structures.


What are the elements called that are between metals and nonmetals?

Those elements are called metalloids. They have properties that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals.


Is gold a semimetal?

No, gold is not a semimetal. It is a metal due to its properties such as high electrical conductivity, malleability, and ductility. Semimetals have properties that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals.


Is iron is a metalloid?

No, iron is not a metalloid. Iron is a metal and is classified as such in the periodic table of elements. Metalloids have properties that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals, while iron exhibits typical metallic properties.


What intermolecular attraction gives alcohols many of their physical properties?

Hydrogen bonding is the intermolecular attraction that gives alcohols many of their physical properties, such as higher boiling points and solubility in water. Hydrogen bonds form between the hydrogen atom of one alcohol molecule and the oxygen atom of another, creating strong intermolecular forces that affect the properties of the alcohol.


How can you use the word metalloid in a sentence?

Arsenic is classified as a metalloid due to its properties that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals.


Are metalloids precious metals?

No. They are elements (e.g., arsenic, antimony, or tin) whose properties are intermediate between those of metals and solid nonmetals or semiconductors.


What is the difference between the solvent properties of ethers and alcohols?

Ethers are hydrogen bond acceptors, but not hydrogen bond donors, as are alcohols. Ethers are generally unreactive as solvents, for that reason. Because of the polarity of the O-H bond in alcohol, the hydrogen atom comes on and off readily, allowing alcohol to act as a solvent in many reactions.