Why does the series of alkanols run above that of alkanes?

Let’s say it, there’s the homologous row of alkanes.

The alkanes form, so to speak, the word stem during the designation and also the backbone of the molecule.

The homologous series of alkanes should always be memorable, without which is nix. So methane, ethane, propane, butane, heptane, hexane etc.

For this, one can say that the same as in the case of the alcohols is of course also available with double/three bonds (alkenes/alkines) or other groups.

But we stay with alcohols:

If you have a simple alcohol now, you simply have a methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, etc. In the case of more than one hydroxyl group, there is of course also another designation, i.e. ethane-1,2-diol (known as ethylene glycol) or propane-1,2,3-triol (known as glycerol).

There are many different arrangements in general.

In addition, even with a single hydroxyl group, there is this effect from the third carbon atom that it can be arranged at different points. Therefore there is also a difference in the molecules propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol and in all others, of course.