We know that chloroform does not dissolve or mix with water. But why does chloroform, under some conditions, dissolve in a mixture of acidic acid and water?
Do you mean acetic acid?
whoops sorry, i think it is suppose to be acetic acid.
I would imagine that a small amount would dissolve due to the acetic acid (ethanoic acid) acting as a surface active agent. Chloroform is not totally insoluble in water anyway, solubility is about 0.8g/100g water.
The solubility of chloroform in water is indeed very low, with only about 0.8 grams of chloroform being able to dissolve in 100 grams of water. This low solubility is due to the differences in polarity between chloroform and water.
Chloroform is a nonpolar molecule, meaning it does not have a partial positive or negative charge. On the other hand, water is a polar molecule, with a partial positive charge on its hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on its oxygen atom. This difference in polarity makes it difficult for chloroform and water to mix or dissolve in each other.
However, under certain conditions, chloroform can dissolve in a mixture of acetic acid (also known as ethanoic acid) and water. Acetic acid is a weak acid, which means it can partially dissociate in water, forming positively charged hydrogen ions (H+) and negatively charged acetate ions (CH3COO-). The presence of these ions can create a more favorable environment for chloroform dissolution.
One possible explanation is that the acetate ions from acetic acid surround the chloroform molecules, forming a shell around them. This can help to stabilize the chloroform molecules and enable them to mix with the water-acetic acid mixture. The interaction between the polar acetate ions and the nonpolar chloroform molecules is known as a solvation process.
Additionally, acetic acid itself is a polar molecule due to the electronegativity difference between carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the molecule. This polarity can also play a role in facilitating the dissolution of chloroform in the mixture.
It's important to note that the solubility of chloroform in the water-acetic acid mixture will still be relatively low compared to fully polar substances. The ability of chloroform to dissolve in this mixture is limited by its inherent nonpolar nature.