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Investigating the combustion of alcohols
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Investigating the combustion of alcohols Introduction: Combustion is a process of rapid oxidation of a substance with simultaneous evolution of heat and, usually, light. Alcohol is a term applied to a group of chemical compounds that contain the OH group (oxygen and hydrogen). Alcohols have one, two or three hydroxyl, -OH, groups attached to their molecules and are thus classified as monohydric, dihydric, or trihydric, respectively. Methanol and ethanol are monohydric alcohols. Alcohols are further classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary, according to whether one, two, or three other carbon atoms are bound to the carbon atom to which the hydroxyl group is bound. Alcohols are characterized by many common reactions, the most important of which is the reaction with acids to form substances called esters, which are comparative to inorganic salts. Alcohols are normal by-products of digestion and chemical processes within cells, and are found in the tissues and fluids of...
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