Hi can you help me with the following question. I don't understand how to answer the question. If someone could tell me the answer for part a of the following sample problem, i would most gladly appreciate it.
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Explain in terms of forces between structural units why
a.) NaCl has a higher boiling point than CH3OH
NaCl consists of a three dimensional array of Na^+ and Cl^-. NaCl must be melted to break the crystal structure holding it together, then the ionic forces must be broken in order to bring NaCl to a boil. CH3OH, on the other hand, is a liquid already (no melting required) and to boil it only some hydrogen bonding between the molecules must be overcome.
Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sure! To understand why NaCl has a higher boiling point than CH3OH, we need to consider the forces between the structural units or molecules in each substance.
In NaCl, the structural units are sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-). These ions are held together by ionic bonds, which are strong electrostatic forces of attraction between positively and negatively charged particles. These ionic bonds require a significant amount of energy to break, resulting in a higher boiling point for NaCl.
On the other hand, CH3OH (methanol) is a molecular compound consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The forces between the methanol molecules are relatively weaker compared to the ionic bonds in NaCl. In this case, the forces involved are dipole-dipole interactions, which are attractions between the partially positive end of one molecule and the partially negative end of another molecule. Additionally, methanol also exhibits hydrogen bonding, which is a strong type of dipole-dipole interaction between a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom (such as oxygen) and another electronegative atom.
Although methanol does have dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, these forces are not as strong as the ionic bonds present in NaCl. Consequently, methanol has a lower boiling point compared to NaCl.
In summary, the higher boiling point of NaCl compared to CH3OH is primarily due to the stronger forces (ionic bonds) between the structural units (Na+ and Cl- ions) in NaCl, while CH3OH has relatively weaker forces (dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding) between its methanol molecules.