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You should be familiar with naming alcohols, if you need to brush up on this then go to the naming organic compounds page first.

[click here for some worked examples on naming alcohols]

Alcohols react differently according to where the functional  "OH group" is on the molecule.

Primary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom which has either all hydrogen atoms attached to it or only one other carbon atom and two hydrogen atoms attached to it.

eg. 

        methanol

  ethanol

Secondary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom surrounded by two other carbon atoms.  The OH group is in the middle of a carbon chain.

eg.

  butan-2-ol

Tertiary Alcohols

The OH group is attached to a carbon atom surrounded by three other carbon atoms.

eg.

  2-methyl propan-2-ol

Reactions of Alcohols

Oxidation

Before we tackle this topic you need to know about distillation and reflux.

The most common oxidizing agent used in organic chemistry is acidified potassium dichromate solution, (K₂Cr₂O₇ with conc. HCl). 

• Primary alcohols are oxidized to aldehydes, or carboxyllic acids depending on the reaction conditions.  Distillation produces aldehydes and reflux produces carboxyllic acids.  

  E.G. Oxidation of Ethanol

  

• Secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones.

  E.G. Oxidation of Propan-2-ol

  

• Tertiary alcohols cannot be oxidized.

[click here for some questions on this topic]