Chapter 10, Problem 18CI

Ethylene glycol, ${\text{C}}_{\text{2}}{\text{H}}_{\text{6}}{\text{O}}_2$ , used as a coolant and antifreeze, has a density of 1.11 g/mL. As a sweet-tasting liquid, it can be appealing to pets and small children, but it can be toxic, with an ${\text{LD}}_{\text{50}}\text{ of 4700 mg/kg}$ . Its accidental ingestion can cause kidney damage and difficulty with breathing. In the body, ethylene glycol is converted to another toxic substance, oxalic acid,
${\text{H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{C}}_{\text{2}}{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}$ . (2.8, 7.4, 7.5, 8.2, 8.4, 10.1, 10.3, 10.4)
 a. What are the empirical formulas of ethylene glycol and oxalic acid?
b. If ethylene glycol has a C¬C single bond with two H atoms attached to each C atom, what is its Lewis structure?
c. Which bonds in ethylene glycol are polar covalent and which are nonpolar covalent?
d. How many milliliters of ethylene glycol could be toxic for an 11.0-lb cat?
e. What would be the strongest intermolecular force in ethylene glycol?
f. If oxalic acid has two carbon atoms attached by a C¬C single bond with each carbon also attached to two oxygen atoms, what is its Lewis structure?
g. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of ethylene glycol and oxygen $\left({\text{O}}_{\text{2}}\right)$ to give oxalic acid and water.