Which element do all alcohol molecules contain?

Which element do all alcohol molecules contain?

• A. Oxygen
• B. Hydrogen
• C. Carbon
• D. Nitrogen

Answer: (B)

All alcohols have a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon skeleton. That -OH group contains hydrogen bonded to oxygen, so every alcohol carries a hydrogen atom as part of its defining feature. Oxygen is also present in every alcohol because of that same -OH group, but the hydrogen bonded to oxygen is the most direct indicator of the alcohol functional group. Nitrogen isn’t part of alcohols, and while carbon is typically present in organic alcohols, the hydrogen in the hydroxyl group is the consistent element across all of them.

All alcohols have a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon skeleton. That -OH group contains hydrogen bonded to oxygen, so every alcohol carries a hydrogen atom as part of its defining feature. Oxygen is also present in every alcohol because of that same -OH group, but the hydrogen bonded to oxygen is the most direct indicator of the alcohol functional group. Nitrogen isn’t part of alcohols, and while carbon is typically present in organic alcohols, the hydrogen in the hydroxyl group is the consistent element across all of them.