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

Answer 1

look at the structure

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#

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Answer 2

Zoe Alexander

Primary alcohols have one carbon atom bonded directly to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group, secondary alcohols have two carbon atoms bonded directly to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group, and tertiary alcohols have three carbon atoms bonded directly to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.