Question

Consider the following compounds and formulas. (Note: The formulas are written in such a way as to give you an idea of the structure.) ethanol: CH3CH2OH dimethyl ether: CH3OCH3 propane: CH3CH2CH3 The boiling points of these compounds are (in no particular order) −42.1°C, −23°C, and 78.5°C. Match the boiling points to the correct compounds. a)dimethyl b)ether c)ethanol d)propane.

Answer 1

Answer:

Ethanol has the highest boiling point = 78.5°C,

propane has the lowest boiling point = −42.1°C

and the boiling point of dimethyl ether = −23°C

Explanation:

The boiling point of a given substance is the temperature at which a given substance present in the liquid state changes to the vapor state.

The boiling point of the substance depends on the intermolecular forces.

As the strength of the intermolecular forces increases, the boiling point also increases.

The relative strength: Ionic bonds > Hydrogen bonding > dipole-dipole interactions > Van der Waals dispersion forces.

The intermolecular forces present in the following compounds are:

Propane (CH₃CH₂CH₃)- weak van der Waals dispersion forces

Dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃)- weak dipole-dipole interactions

Ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH)- strong hydrogen bonding

Therefore, Ethanol has the highest boiling point = 78.5°C, propane has the lowest boiling point = −42.1°C and the boiling point of dimethyl ether = −23°C