Ethanol has a much higher boiling point than dimethyl ether of the same molar mass mainly because of ____.
Correct answer C. hydrogen bonding between ethanol molecules
Topic / 38 questions
Alcohols and Phenols MCQs
Alcohols and Phenols MCQs are multiple-choice questions on the naming, structure and reactions of alcohols and phenol, including ether and ester formation and the differences between the two classes. They follow the MDCAT chemistry curriculum, and every question on MCQs360 shows its correct answer instantly so you can revise reagents and products efficiently.
- Gases 40
- Liquids 40
- Solids 40
- Chemical Equilibrium 40
- Reaction Kinetics 40
- Thermochemistry and Energetics 40
- Electrochemistry 40
- Fundamental Concepts of Chemistry 40
- Atomic Structure 39
- Chemical Bonding 39
- Alcohols and Phenols 38
- Industrial Chemistry 37
- Aldehydes and Ketones 37
- Alkyl Halides 37
- s- and p-Block Elements 37
- Chemistry of Hydrocarbons 36
- Fundamental Principles of Organic Chemistry 36
- Carboxylic Acids 36
- Transition Elements 35
- Macromolecules 35
2-methylpropan-2-ol, (CH₃)₃COH, is classified as a ____ alcohol.
Correct answer A. tertiary
In the Lucas test (ZnCl₂ in concentrated HCl), which alcohol produces turbidity almost immediately at room temperature?
Correct answer B. 2-methylpropan-2-ol
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Heating excess ethanol with concentrated H₂SO₄ at about 140 °C mainly gives ____.
Correct answer A. diethyl ether
Ethanol reacts with ethanoic acid in the presence of concentrated H₂SO₄ to form ____.
Correct answer A. ethyl ethanoate
Phenol is a stronger acid than ethanol because ____.
Correct answer A. the phenoxide ion is stabilised by resonance
Phenol reacts with bromine water at room temperature to form a white precipitate of ____.
Correct answer C. 2,4,6-tribromophenol
Which reagent gives a violet colour with phenol but not with ethanol?
Correct answer B. Neutral FeCl₃ solution
The −OH group in phenol makes the benzene ring ____.
Correct answer C. activated and ortho-para directing
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Which of these reacts with aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a salt?
Correct answer A. Phenol
What volume of hydrogen at STP is evolved when 4.6 g of ethanol reacts with excess sodium (C = 12, H = 1, O = 16)?
Correct answer D. 1.12 dm³
6.0 g of ethanoic acid reacts with excess ethanol and gives 5.28 g of ethyl ethanoate. What is the percentage yield (CH₃COOH = 60, CH₃COOC₂H₅ = 88)?
Correct answer A. 60%
What is the IUPAC name of CH₃CH(OH)CH₃?
Correct answer A. Propan-2-ol
Which alcohol is NOT oxidised by acidified potassium dichromate(VI) under normal conditions?
Correct answer B. 2-Methylpropan-2-ol
Take molar volume = 22.4 dm³/mol. What volume of hydrogen at STP is produced when 0.20 mol of ethanol reacts with excess sodium?
Correct answer C. 2.24 dm³
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What mass of ethene (M = 28 g/mol) is formed when 23 g of ethanol (M = 46 g/mol) is completely dehydrated?
Correct answer D. 14 g
Take C = 12, H = 1, O = 16. What is the percentage by mass of oxygen in ethanol, C₂H₅OH?
Correct answer B. 34.8%
How many moles of Br₂ are needed to convert 0.050 mol of phenol completely into 2,4,6-tribromophenol?
Correct answer B. 0.15 mol
What mass of 2,4,6-tribromophenol (M = 331 g/mol) forms when 9.4 g of phenol (M = 94 g/mol) reacts completely with bromine water?
Correct answer D. 33.1 g
What mass of ethanol can be obtained from the complete fermentation of 90 g of glucose (M = 180 g/mol, ethanol M = 46 g/mol)?
Correct answer A. 46 g
About Alcohols and Phenols MCQs
Alcohol questions cover classification into primary, secondary and tertiary types, the Lucas test, dehydration of ethanol with concentrated H₂SO₄ to give either ethoxyethane or ethene depending on temperature, esterification with carboxylic acids and the Williamson synthesis of ethers. Oxidation products of different classes of alcohol also appear. Phenol questions focus on its acidity compared with ethanol and water, and on electrophilic substitution reactions of the activated ring, such as bromination with bromine water to give 2,4,6-tribromophenol and nitration with dilute nitric acid. Some questions include short mass calculations based on these reactions.
Key facts to remember
- Lucas reagent is concentrated HCl with anhydrous ZnCl₂; tertiary alcohols give turbidity almost immediately, secondary alcohols within minutes and primary alcohols not at room temperature.
- Heating excess ethanol with concentrated H₂SO₄ at about 140 °C gives ethoxyethane (diethyl ether); at about 170 °C it gives ethene.
- In esterification, concentrated H₂SO₄ acts as a catalyst and a dehydrating agent.
- Williamson synthesis: an alkoxide reacts with an alkyl halide to form an ether, for example C₂H₅ONa + CH₃I → C₂H₅OCH₃ + NaI.
- Phenol is more acidic than ethanol because the negative charge of the phenoxide ion is delocalised into the benzene ring.
- Phenol reacts with bromine water at room temperature to give a white precipitate of 2,4,6-tribromophenol.
Exams that include Alcohols and Phenols MCQs
Pakistan
- MDCAT
- ECAT
- NUMS
- AKU
- FSc boards
India
- NEET
- JEE Main
Bangladesh
- HSC
- Medical Admission Test
How to prepare for Alcohols and Phenols MCQs
- Learn the Lucas test results in order of speed: tertiary, then secondary, then primary.
- Note the temperature in dehydration questions, since it decides between the ether and the alkene.
- Compare acidity in one line: carboxylic acid > phenol > water > ethanol.
- Remember that the –OH group activates the ring, so phenol reacts with bromine water without a catalyst.
Frequently asked questions
What does the MDCAT syllabus include in Alcohols and Phenols?
The PMDC MDCAT curriculum covers the nomenclature, structure and reactivity of alcohols, the formation of ethers and esters from alcohols, the structure and reactivity of phenol including electrophilic aromatic substitution, and the differences between alcohols and phenols.
Which exams ask Alcohols and Phenols MCQs?
Alcohols and phenols are tested in MDCAT, ECAT, NUMS and AKU entry tests and FSc board papers in Pakistan, in NEET and JEE Main in India, and in HSC and medical admission tests in Bangladesh.
How can ethanol and phenol be distinguished?
Phenol gives a white precipitate with bromine water and a violet colour with neutral iron(III) chloride solution, while ethanol does neither. Phenol also dissolves in aqueous sodium hydroxide to form sodium phenoxide, but ethanol does not react with it in this way.
Last reviewed October 2026