considering the polarity of each compound and that of a solvent in which it is dissolved (including the potential for hydrogen bonding), give a brief explanation of each result:

a) malonic acid in water
- which i know is soluble

b) malonic acid in hexane
- which is also soluble

c) malonic acid in methyl alcohol
- which is partially soluble

please help.... i don't know how explain the reactions other then the solubilities

Here is what you are doing. Remember that like dissolves like. That is the same as saying that polar molecules will dissolve in polar solvents and non-polar molecules will dissolve in non-polar solvents. For example, NaCl is an ionic compound which means it is quite polar. It dissolve in a polar solvent like water BUT will not dissolve in hexane, pentane, etc because they are non-polar solvents and NaCl is a polar solute. By the same reasoning, hexane, a non-polar solvent, will dissolve octane, a non-polar solute, but hexane will not dissolve NaCl. Now you look at malonic acid which is an organic molecule with a chain of CH3-CH2...etc and ends in COOH. The COOH is a polar group so you would expect it to dissolve in water. Etc.

thank you!! that really helps me with the other problems also!! :)

To explain the solubility of malonic acid in different solvents, we need to consider the polarity of the compound and the solvent, as well as the potential for hydrogen bonding.

a) Malonic acid in water:
Malonic acid is a polar compound that contains multiple functional groups, including carboxylic acid groups. Water is a highly polar solvent, capable of forming hydrogen bonds. As a result, malonic acid readily dissolves in water through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The polar nature of malonic acid allows it to interact with the polar water molecules, leading to solubility.

b) Malonic acid in hexane:
Hexane is a nonpolar solvent. Nonpolar compounds, like hexane, do not have strong interactions with polar molecules like malonic acid. Therefore, malonic acid is not expected to dissolve in hexane to a significant extent, since the intermolecular forces between malonic acid and hexane are relatively weak.

c) Malonic acid in methyl alcohol:
Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol, is a polar solvent, similar to water. However, it is less polar than water and has a lower boiling point. Malonic acid is capable of forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the polar methanol molecules, but to a lesser extent compared to water. Therefore, malonic acid shows partial solubility in methyl alcohol, meaning it can dissolve to some degree, but not as completely as it would in water.

In summary, the solubility of malonic acid in different solvents is influenced by the polarity of the compound and the solvent, as well as the potential for hydrogen bonding.