Organic Nomenclature Practice Test

Isopropanol, also known as isopropyl alcohol, is indeed derived from propane, which is a three-carbon alkane. The structure of propane is C3H8, and when you consider the formation of isopropanol, a hydroxyl group (-OH) is added to one of the carbon atoms in propane, resulting in isopropanol with a chemical formula of C3H8O. This modification effectively transforms a saturated hydrocarbon (propane) into an alcohol (isopropanol) while retaining the core three-carbon structure.

In organic chemistry, derivatives like isopropanol are commonly formed through functional group modifications of parent hydrocarbons, such as alkanes. Thus, option B accurately captures the chemical relationship between propane and isopropanol, highlighting how isopropanol is specifically an alcohol that arises from the propane framework through the addition of the hydroxyl functional group.