Alcohols

Methanol, CH₃OH, is used as a fuel in some motorcycles. Ethanol, CH₃CH₂OH, is often mixed with gasoline to help the gasoline burn more completely. Methanol and ethanol are alcohols. The name of an alcohol ends in −ol. The functional group in an alcohol is a hydroxyl group, −OH. When a halocarbon reacts with a base, the products are an alcohol and salt.

${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{Cl} + \mathrm{NaOH} \to {\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH} + \mathrm{NaCl}$

An alcohol can also be made by reacting an alkene with water.

Organic Acids and Bases

The sharp, sour taste of a lemon comes from citric acid, an organic acid. The functional group in organic acids is a carboxyl group, −COOH. Names of organic acids end in -oic. Organic acids tend to have sharp tastes and strong odors. The simplest organic acid is methanoic acid, which is also known as formic acid. Vinegar is a solution of water and the organic acid ethanoic acid, which is usually referred to as acetic acid. If the ants in Figure 11 sprayed the formic acid they produce on your skin, your skin would itch or burn.

Figure 11 Birds sometimes will sit on an ants' nest and allow the ants to crawl over them. The methanoic acid sprayed by the ants is a natural pesticide that kills mites in the birds' feathers.