Question

Cyclohexane (C6H12) is a hydrocarbon (a substance containing only carbon and hydrogen) liquid. Which of the following will most likely dissolve in cyclohexane to form a solution?
a) NaBr
b) CH2Cl2
c) CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3
d) HI

Answer 1

Answer: Option (c) is the correct answer.

Explanation:

It is known that like dissolves like. As cyclohexane is a hydrocarbon and we know that hydrocarbons are non-polar in nature. So, a non-polar compound will be soluble in a hydrocarbon.

For example, NaBr is an ionic compound and when it i added to liquid cyclohexane then it will not dissolve. Similarly, $CH_{2}Cl_{2}$ and HI are polar covalent compounds and they will not dissolve in liquid cyclohexane.

But $CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_2CH_3$ is a non-polar compound. So, when it is added to liquid cyclohexane then it will readily dissolve.

Thus, we can conclude that pentane ($CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_2CH_3$) will most likely dissolve in cyclohexane to form a solution.