What characterizes a primary alcohol?

A primary alcohol is characterized by having one alkyl group attached to the carbon atom that is bonded to the hydroxyl (–OH) group. In a primary alcohol, this carbon atom is also bonded to two hydrogen atoms, making it the simplest form of an alcohol structure.

More specifically, the general formula for a primary alcohol can be represented as RCH₂OH, where R represents the alkyl group. This structure allows primary alcohols to easily undergo oxidation to form aldehydes. The presence of only one alkyl group influences both the reactivity and the physical properties of primary alcohols compared to secondary and tertiary alcohols, which have more alkyl groups attached to the carbon connected to the hydroxyl group.