What happens to the polarity of a molecule with a constant
functional group such as an alcohol, but the number of carbons
and hydrogens increases i.e. chain length increases?
Let us look at this effect through the use of the molecular
Methanol is a polar molecule:
See graphic on the left. The alcohol (-OH) group dominates
the molecule making it definitely polar. The electrostatic potential
clearly shows that the oxygen is partially negative whereas the
carbon and hydrogens are partially positive.
Methanol - Chime
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