Explain why methanol and water are completely miscible, while pentanol is only slightly soluble in water?

Chemistry
10th Edition
ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
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Explain why methanol and water are completely miscible, while pentanol is only slightly soluble in water?

wouldn't be
The main intermolecular interactions keeping both methanol and water in the liquid phase at
hydrogen bonds
room temperatures are
. Therefore, disrupting the methanolD-methanol and
water-Owater hydrogen bonds to form similar methanol-Dwater
is roughly
dispersion forces
thermoneutral. To dissolve pentanol, however, the
between the alkyl chains in
would be
pentanol are disrupted, as are the hydrogen bonds in water. The interactions between water
would
and the alkyl chain that
formed upon dissolving pentanol
give
would not
back the same amount of energy as those disrupted, so the dissolution
energetically unfeasible.
Transcribed Image Text:wouldn't be The main intermolecular interactions keeping both methanol and water in the liquid phase at hydrogen bonds room temperatures are . Therefore, disrupting the methanolD-methanol and water-Owater hydrogen bonds to form similar methanol-Dwater is roughly dispersion forces thermoneutral. To dissolve pentanol, however, the between the alkyl chains in would be pentanol are disrupted, as are the hydrogen bonds in water. The interactions between water would and the alkyl chain that formed upon dissolving pentanol give would not back the same amount of energy as those disrupted, so the dissolution energetically unfeasible.
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