Medical Chemistry Practice Test

RCH2OH and RR'R''COH are

primary and tertiary alcohols, respectively secondary and primary alcohols, respectively primary and secondary alcohols, respectively tertiary and secondary alcohols, respectively

Correct Answer:

primary and tertiary alcohols, respectively

Explanation:

The concept being tested is how to classify alcohols by the degree of substitution at the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group. In alcohols, the carbon attached to OH determines whether it’s primary, secondary, or tertiary: primary means the OH-bearing carbon is bonded to one other carbon, secondary to two, and tertiary to three. For RCH2OH, the carbon with the OH is a CH2 group attached to one carbon (R) and two hydrogens. That makes it a primary alcohol. For RR'R''COH, the carbon bearing the OH is connected to three carbon groups (R, R', and R''), which makes it a tertiary alcohol. So the pairing is primary and tertiary alcohols, respectively. For reference, ethanol is a classic primary example, while tert-butanol is a classic tertiary example.

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