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Which of the following is the least soluble in water?
  • a)
    n-Butyl alcohol
  • b)
    n-Pentyl alcohol
  • c)
    n-Hexyl alcohol
  • d)
    n-Heptyl alcohol
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Which of the following is the least soluble in water?a)n-Butyl alcohol...
The solubility of a substance in water is determined by the nature of its intermolecular forces and the ability of water molecules to interact with the solute particles. In general, substances with polar functional groups, such as hydroxyl groups (-OH), tend to be more soluble in water due to the ability of water molecules to form hydrogen bonds with these functional groups.

In this case, we are comparing the solubility of different alcohols in water. Alcohols have a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a hydrocarbon chain. As the length of the hydrocarbon chain increases, the solubility of the alcohol in water decreases.

The reason for this is that as the hydrocarbon chain becomes longer, the nonpolar nature of the hydrocarbon chain dominates over the polar nature of the hydroxyl group. Water, being a polar molecule, is more likely to interact with other polar molecules and may have difficulty interacting with the nonpolar hydrocarbon chain. Therefore, as the length of the hydrocarbon chain increases, the solubility of the alcohol in water decreases.

In this case, n-heptyl alcohol (option D) has the longest hydrocarbon chain among the given options. Therefore, it would be the least soluble in water compared to the other alcohols.

To summarize:
- The solubility of alcohols in water decreases as the length of the hydrocarbon chain increases.
- n-Heptyl alcohol has the longest hydrocarbon chain among the given options, making it the least soluble in water.
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Community Answer
Which of the following is the least soluble in water?a)n-Butyl alcohol...
As the size of the alkyl group becomes larger, it prevents the formation of hydrogen bonds with water molecules and hence the solubility goes on decreasing with the increase in the size or mass of the compound.
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Which of the following is the least soluble in water?a)n-Butyl alcoholb)n-Pentyl alcoholc)n-Hexyl alcohold)n-Heptyl alcoholCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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