What is the general formula for an aliphatic alcohol? (R=alkyl group)

Options

A. R-H
B. R-OH
C. R-CHO
D. R-COOH

Answer

To determine the general formula for an aliphatic alcohol, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Alcohols**:
- Alcohols are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups.
- The presence of the hydroxyl group is what classifies a compound as an alcohol.

2. **Identifying the Alkyl Group**:
- An aliphatic alcohol has an alkyl group (R) attached to the hydroxyl group.
- The alkyl group can be a straight-chain or branched hydrocarbon.

3. **General Structure of Alcohols**:
- The general structure of an alcohol can be represented as R-OH, where R is the alkyl group.
- This indicates that the hydroxyl group (-OH) is bonded to an alkyl group (R).

4. **Determining the General Formula**:
- Since the alkyl group (R) is made up of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms, we can express the general formula for aliphatic alcohols.
- The general formula for an aliphatic alcohol can be represented as CnH2n+1OH, where n is the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group.
- This can also be simplified to CnH2n+2O, which represents the entire alcohol molecule.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the general formula for an aliphatic alcohol is CnH2n+2O.