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Unbranched vs branched alcohol(s) with the chemical formula C₅H₁₂O

A) Methanol
B) Ethanol
C) 1-Pentanol
D) 2-Pentanol

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The unbranched alcohol with the chemical formula C₅H₁₂O is 1-Pentanol, and the branched one is 2-Pentanol. Methanol and Ethanol do not fit the formula for the alcohols of interest.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the differentiation between unbranched and branched alcohols that have a chemical formula of C₅H₁₂O. We're looking at a list of alcohols and trying to determine which are unbranched (straight-chain) and which are branched. Given the options:

  • Methanol (Methyl Alcohol)
  • Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol)
  • 1-Pentanol
  • 2-Pentanol

Methanol (CH3OH) and Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) have carbon chains that do not fit the requirement of C₅H₁₂O, so they are not the correct answers. The answer must therefore be between 1-Pentanol and 2-Pentanol. Between those two, 1-Pentanol is unbranched, with a straight chain of five carbons. In contrast, 2-Pentanol has a branch at the second carbon, making it a branched alcohol.

In summary, for the chemical formula C₅H₁₂O, the unbranched alcohol is 1-Pentanol, and the branched alcohol is 2-Pentanol.

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