Question

Why alcohols are volatile liquid at room temperature?

Answer 1

no
they have high boiling points

Answer 2

i perceived it wrong probably

Answer 3

but they have got weak bonding and this is for sure

Answer 4

may be because their functional group is OH (oxygen hydrogen) and both are gases?

Answer 5

am i right?

Answer 6

well, start with water. water is polar - a molecule of H2O has an net charge of zero but an asymmetric charge distribution within itself, meaning that H2O molecules are like little magnets. water "sticks together" because of that. microwaves cause H2O molecules to spin because the charge distribution is not symmetrical - hence how the ovens work.

my sense is that you will not find this so much with ethanol. i found this list, in decreasing order of polarity online:

Water
Acetic Acid
Ethyleneglycol
Methanol
Ethanol
Isopropanol
Pyridine
Acetonitrile
Nitromethane
Diehylamine
Aniline
Dimethylsulfoxide
Ethylacetate
Dioxane
Acetone
Dicholoroethane
Tetrahydrofuran
Dicholoromethane
Chloroform
Diethylether
Benzene
Toluene
Xylene
Carbontetrachloride
Cyclohexane
Petroleum ether
Hexane
Pentane

i suspect you will find a lot more if you head in this direction.....

Answer 7

are these compounds volatile?

Answer 8

@IrishBoy123

Answer 9

If they're volatile at room temperature, that means they can turn from liquid to gas at room temperature. So that implies they have a low boiling point, not a high boiling point don't you think?

Answer 10

but alcohols have high boiling points for example :
\[methanol65^{o}c\]
\[ethanol 78^{o}c\]
\[propanol 98^{o}c\]
\[butanol 117^oc\]

Answer 11

and first four members of alcohols are volatile liquids

Answer 12

Well water boils at 100 C so I wouldn't consider the first three on that list to be "high" relatively speaking. I think water is a good reference point, don't you?

Answer 13

my confusion is still not clear

Answer 14

Alkoholi can form Hydrogen bonds between molecules, because there are
-OH-groups. Like water molecules do.
That is why building pois is high.

Answer 15

Boiling point, finally what I meant :)