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Why are longer alcohol chains less reactive?

When sodium was added to octanol, the reaction was more slow than when sodium was added to methanol. Why is the longer one less reactive? Actually I have another question to if anyone knows. Why does sodium react better with water than with methanol? Help would be appreciated. I've been looking in my textbook and on the internet and haven't really found much.

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  • Anonymous
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The amount of the liquid that will react with the sodium is the key. Octanol reacts at a rate similar(ish) to a 1:1 mixture of methanol and heptane. The sodium will not react with the greasy part of the molecule but only with the alcohol.

    In water there is no part of the molecule that the sodium will not react with so the reaction is very rapid

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