Question

What are the functional groups in $C{H_3} - C{H_2} - OH$ and ?

Answer 1

A functional group is a chemical moiety that is present in a molecule that causes the molecule’s characteristic chemical reaction. There are several functional groups like hydroxyl, carboxyl, aldehyde, ether, etc.

Complete answer:
Hydroxyl group $- OH$ is for alcohol and the prefix used for this is hydroxy and the suffix used is -ol.
Alcohol is characterized by the presence of $- OH$ , a group in them. As $C{H_3} - C{H_2} - OH$ contains the $- OH$ group, hence, it is alcohol and the functional group present in it is a hydroxyl group. The IUPAC name for the compound is ethanol.
Ether group $R - O - R$ is for ethers and the prefix used for this is alkoxy and the suffix used is ether. Ether is characterized by the presence of $R - O - R$ , a group in them. As $C{H_3} - O - C{H_2}$ contains $R - O - R$ a group, hence, it is ether and the functional group present in it is an ether group. The IUPAC name for the compound is diethyl ether.
Hence, the functional group in $C{H_3} - C{H_2} - OH$ is hydroxyl ( $- OH$ ) and in $C{H_3} - O - C{H_2}$ is ether $R - O - R$ .

Note:
The characteristic property of a molecule arises due to the presence of a functional group in it. There are various types of functional groups based on the atom present in it, like groups containing halogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, boron, phosphorus, metals, etc.