Question

identify the alcohol molecule in the ester compound butyl methanoate.
select the correct answer below:
butanoic acid
butanol
methanol
methanoic acid

Explanation:

Esters are formed from an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. The general formula for an ester is \(R - COO - R'\), where \(R\) is from the carboxylic acid and \(R'\) is from the alcohol. In the name "butyl methanoate", the "butyl" part comes from the alcohol. The alcohol corresponding to the "butyl" group is butanol (\(C_4H_9OH\)). Butanoic acid is a carboxylic acid (\(C_3H_7COOH\)), methanol (\(CH_3OH\)) would be part of an ester named with a "methyl" prefix (e.g., methyl butanoate), and methanoic acid (\(HCOOH\)) is a carboxylic acid.

Answer:

butanol