Are the words in brackets correct in the statement?

1. A [primary] alcohol has a hydroxyl group on the interior of the hydrocarbon chain.
I think the word, primary, is wrong, but I had no ideas what I should put instead.

2. Halocarbons are [nonpolar].
I think halocarbons are kind of polar, right?

Thanks for helping out!

A primary alcohol is one in which the OH is attached to a primary carbon. (A primary carbon is one which has ONE carbon neighbor.) So RCH2OH is a primary alcohol (and the OH group is NOT on the interior) so the statement is false. Here is a site to read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_alcohol

Halocarbons have polar bonds between C and the halogen; however, the molecule is symmetrical which means the molecule as a whole has no dipole moment. Therefore, the molecule is non-polar.

Oh, thanks.

But for #1, what should I put instead of the word, "primary", would it be "secondary"?

1. The word "primary" in the statement is correct. It refers to a type of alcohol where the hydroxyl group (-OH) is attached to a carbon atom that is bonded to only one other carbon atom in the hydrocarbon chain. This arrangement is known as a primary alcohol.

To determine if the word is used correctly, you can examine the structure of the alcohol. Count the number of carbon atoms bonded to the carbon atom with the hydroxyl group. If it is only one, then the word "primary" is appropriate. If there are two carbon atoms bonded to the carbon with the hydroxyl group, it would be a secondary alcohol. If there are three carbon atoms bonded to the carbon with the hydroxyl group, it would be a tertiary alcohol.

2. The statement that halocarbons are nonpolar is incorrect. Halocarbons are organic compounds that contain halogen atoms (such as chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or iodine) bonded to carbon atoms. The electronegativity difference between the halogen and carbon atoms creates a polar bond in halocarbons.

To determine if a compound is polar or nonpolar, you need to consider the electronegativity difference between the atoms involved in the bond. If the electronegativity difference is significant, the molecule will be polar. In the case of halocarbons, the halogen atom's high electronegativity creates a polar bond with the carbon atom, making halocarbons generally polar compounds. However, the degree of polarity can vary depending on the specific halogen and the other atoms present in the molecule.

Therefore, the correct statement would be that halocarbons are generally polar compounds, with the degree of polarity depending on the specific molecules involved.