Rank the following compounds according to increasing solubility in water.
I.CH₃-CH₂-CH₂-CH₃
II.CH₃-CH₂-O-CH₂-CH₃
III. CH₃-CH₂-OH
IV. CH₃-OH

Question

Rank the following compounds according to increasing solubility in water. I.CH₃-CH₂-CH₂-CH₃ II.CH₃-CH₂-O-CH₂-CH₃ III. CH₃-CH₂-OH IV. CH₃-OH A) I < II < IV < III B) I < III < IV < II C) I < II < III < IV D) III < IV < II < I E) None is correct.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In general, compounds with polar or ionic bonds tend to be more soluble in water than nonpolar compounds. Using this information, we can rank the compounds as follows:

I. This compound contains only nonpolar C-H bonds and sulfide bonds (S-S). It is the least soluble in water.

II. This compound is similar to I but contains an oxygen atom in the middle, forming a polar bond with the sulfur atom. This increases its solubility compared to I.

III. This compound contains a hydroxyl group (OH), which forms polar hydrogen bonds with water molecules. It is more soluble than both I and II.

IV. This compound contains two hydroxyl groups, making it the most polar and most soluble in water among the given compounds.

Rank the Following Compounds According to Increasing Solubility in Water