How is propanol structurally different from methanol?

Propanol is structurally different from methanol primarily because it has an additional CH2 group. This means that while methanol, which has the formula CH3OH, consists of one carbon atom, propanol has three carbon atoms in its structure, represented as CH3-CH2-CH2OH or CH3-CH(OH)-CH3 depending on whether it is n-propanol or isopropanol. This extra carbon atom contributes to the overall length of the carbon chain in propanol, distinguishing it from methanol, which is the simplest alcohol with just one carbon atom.

In contrast, the presence of a hydroxyl group, which is characteristic of alcohols, is common to both methanol and propanol. The structure of propanol does not include any double bonds or phenyl groups, which are features found in other types of compounds but not in the context of differentiating it from methanol. This additional CH2 group in propanol is key to understanding the difference in their molecular structure.