How can you distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols?

1 Answer
Mar 25, 2016

look at the structure

Explanation:

An alcohol is distinguished in primary, secondary or tertiary depending on how many carbons are attached to the carbon bearing the hydroxile. Primary alcohols have no other carbon, secondary ones have one and tertiary alcohols have two.
Examples:
Primary alcohol: CH_3-OH

Secondary alcohol :(CH_3)_2CH-OH

Tertiary alcohol: (CH_3)_3C-OH