Question

Why is ethanol a hydrocarbon?

Answer 1

Hydrocarbons:

1. Hydrocarbons can be simply defined as organic substances with a molecular structure made up only of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
2. They are three types saturated hydrocarbon, unsaturated hydrocarbon, aliphatic hydrocarbon, and aromatic hydrocarbon.
3. Saturated hydrocarbon consists only of a carbon-carbon single bond.
4. Unsaturated hydrocarbon consists of carbon-carbon double or triple bond.
5. Compounds with hydrogen and carbon connected together in a chain, ring, or other non-aromatic structure are known as aliphatic hydrocarbons.
6. Aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds having a benzene ring attached to them.

Ethanol:

1. Alcohols are chemical molecules in which a hydroxyl group is present in place of a hydrogen atom of aliphatic carbon.
2. As a result, an alcohol molecule is divided into two parts, one of which has an alkyl group and the other of which contains the functional group hydroxyl group.
3. Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with a molecular formula ${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}$.
4. A hydroxyl group ($-\mathrm{OH}$) linked to the carbon atom of the ethyl group's( (hydrocarbon chain)
5. Only one carbon-carbon bond exists in ethanol. It is a saturated hydrocarbon

Therefore, ethanol is a hydrocarbon because it has a hydroxyl group in place of the hydrogen atom of aliphatic carbon.