Molecular compound · alcohol

Methanol

CH₄O

Methanol is CH₃OH, the simplest alcohol. One carbon is bonded to three hydrogens and to a hydroxyl group, giving the molecule a small hydrocarbon region and a strongly polar O–H end.

Name distinction: methanol and methyl alcohol name the same compound. Commercial products containing methanol are mixtures unless explicitly specified as pure.

Essentials

The –OH group makes methanol an alcohol.

The molecular formula CH₄O hides connectivity. Writing CH₃–OH immediately exposes the hydroxyl functional group.

Condensed methanol structure CH3-OH — Beginner view: one methyl group joined directly to one hydroxyl group.

Compare ethanol

Methanol has one carbon; ethanol has two.

Both are alcohols because each contains an –OH group attached to a saturated carbon framework.

Detail

The reference 2D structure fixes the C–O connectivity.

The O–H bond is polar, and oxygen carries lone-pair electron density that can accept hydrogen bonds.

Source-derived two-dimensional structure of methanol — Reference structure: CH₃–OH.

Polarity

The hydroxyl end dominates intermolecular interactions.

Methanol is small enough that hydrogen bonding strongly affects its bulk properties and water miscibility.

Read the formula

C H₄ O is a compact statement of composition.

Subscripts count atoms in the chemical molecule. Atom percentages and mass percentages answer different questions because the constituent elements have different atomic masses.

C H₄ O

1 Ccarbon atom

4 Hhydrogen atoms

1 Ooxygen atom

Percentages are calculated from standard relative atomic masses and rounded for display.

Understand

Methanol can both donate and accept hydrogen bonds.

Its O–H hydrogen can act as a donor and oxygen can act as an acceptor, including in interactions with water.

One methanol-water hydrogen bond shown by a dashed H to O contact — The dashed contact is intermolecular and stops before the atom labels.

One –OH, two roles

Donor and acceptor behavior come from different parts of the hydroxyl group.

The hydrogen participates as donor; oxygen lone-pair density provides acceptor sites.

Reference identifiers

Names and identifiers that pin down the chemical identity.

Formula	CH₄O / CH₃OH
CAS Registry Number	67-56-1
PubChem CID	887

Advanced

Push past the first model without losing the simple picture.

Is CH₄O enough to identify methanol?

No. Molecular formula alone does not encode connectivity.

Why does methanol mix well with water?

Its small hydrophobic part and strongly hydrogen-bonding hydroxyl group make water–methanol interactions favorable.

Is methanol simply a smaller ethanol?

They belong to the same homologous alcohol series, but changing chain length changes physical and chemical behavior.

Constituent elements

Methanol

The –OH group makes methanol an alcohol.

Methanol has one carbon; ethanol has two.

The reference 2D structure fixes the C–O connectivity.

The hydroxyl end dominates intermolecular interactions.

C H₄ O is a compact statement of composition.

Methanol can both donate and accept hydrogen bonds.

Donor and acceptor behavior come from different parts of the hydroxyl group.

Names and identifiers that pin down the chemical identity.

Push past the first model without losing the simple picture.

Connect the compound back to the periodic table.

Carbon

Hydrogen

Oxygen

Methanol

The –OH group makes methanol an alcohol.

Methanol has one carbon; ethanol has two.

The reference 2D structure fixes the C–O connectivity.

The hydroxyl end dominates intermolecular interactions.

CH4O is a compact statement of composition.

Methanol can both donate and accept hydrogen bonds.

Donor and acceptor behavior come from different parts of the hydroxyl group.

Names and identifiers that pin down the chemical identity.

Push past the first model without losing the simple picture.

Connect the compound back to the periodic table.

Carbon

Hydrogen

Oxygen

C H₄ O is a compact statement of composition.