Alcohols used as gasoline additives or substitutes are often called biofuels.Similar organic compounds derived from vegetable oils and fats are called biodiesels,which are another class of organic chemicals called esters.Qualitatively compare the combustion energy content (kJ/g)of the four-carbon alcohol,butanol,with the energy content (kJ/g)of the four-carbon ester,ethyl acetate.

Question

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Butanol is an alcohol and thus has a higher energy content per unit mass compared to ethyl acetate, which is an ester. This is because the alcohol molecule contains more carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds than an ester molecule, which contain carbon-oxygen and carbon-carbon bonds. Therefore, butanol has a higher energy content per unit mass than ethyl acetate.

Alcohols Used as Gasoline Additives or Substitutes Are Often Called