an unknown alcohol reacts with sodium salt but further tests show the compound to be an aliphatic hydrocarbon. what structural unit is probably present in the hydrocarbon?
This makes no sense to me. If it's a hydrocarbon, how can it be an alcohol?
an unknown reacts with sodium salt but further tests show the compound to be an aliphatic hydrocarbon. what structural unit is probably present in the hydrocarbon?
To determine the structural unit present in an unknown aliphatic hydrocarbon, you can use the information provided. In this case, it's mentioned that the unknown alcohol reacts with sodium salt, and the resulting compound is an aliphatic hydrocarbon.
To identify the structural unit, we need to understand the reaction between an alcohol and sodium salt. When an alcohol reacts with sodium salt, a process called dehydration occurs. During dehydration, a water molecule is eliminated, resulting in the formation of an alkene.
The general equation for this reaction is:
Alcohol + Sodium salt -> Alkene + Sodium hydroxide
So, based on the information given, the structural unit probably present in the aliphatic hydrocarbon is an alkene. An alkene is a hydrocarbon compound that contains a carbon-carbon double bond in its structure.
Please note that without more specific information or additional tests, it is not possible to determine the exact structure of the aliphatic hydrocarbon present in the compound.