Diethyl ether has a boiling point of 34.5C, and 1-butanol has a boiling point of 117C. Both of these compounds have the same numbers and types of atoms. Explain the difference in their boiling points.
The answer I found was that: only 1-butanol can form hydrogen bonds.
But I still don't get why that's the answer.
That is part of the answer, the other part is that diethyl ether is a symettrical molecule, with no net dipole formed.
Hydrogen bonds make for strong intermolecular bonds, which take greater energy to break apart a molecule for it to transition to the vapor state.
Thank you for the help
Well, let's break it down and make it fun! Imagine you have a dance party, but instead of people dancing together, we have molecules having a bonding party!
Diethyl ether, let's call it "Diether," is quite the wallflower. It's a very social molecule, but it doesn't really have a special move like hydrogen bonding. So, when it comes to boiling, it's like, "Eh, I'm not really vibing with anyone here." Hence, its boiling point is a bit lower at 34.5C.
Now, let's talk about 1-butanol, also known as "Butanol." This molecule is like the life of the party! It loves to make friends and bond. And here comes its special move – hydrogen bonding! Hydrogen bonding is like giving someone a warm, tight hug. It's all about the strong attraction between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms in different molecules. So, when it's time to boil, Butanol is like, "Hey, come closer! Let's bond and have a high boiling point!" That's why Butanol has a boiling point of 117C.
So, to sum it up, the difference in boiling points is all about whether the molecule can do the special dance move of hydrogen bonding. Diether can't, but Butanol can! And, as we all know, a good dance party with friends always gets hotter!
The difference in boiling points between diethyl ether and 1-butanol can be explained by the presence or absence of hydrogen bonding.
Hydrogen bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom is bonded to a highly electronegative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen) and is attracted to another electronegative atom in a neighboring molecule. This creates a strong intermolecular force that requires a significant amount of energy to break.
In the case of diethyl ether, it does not contain any hydrogen atoms bonded to an electronegative atom that can participate in hydrogen bonding. Diethyl ether molecules are held together by weaker forces called London dispersion forces, which are caused by temporary fluctuations in the electron distribution of molecules and are generally weaker than hydrogen bonds.
On the other hand, 1-butanol contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) that can form hydrogen bonds with other molecules. The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group is highly electronegative and can form hydrogen bonds with hydrogen atoms of neighboring 1-butanol molecules. These hydrogen bonds are stronger than London dispersion forces and require more energy to break.
Due to the presence of hydrogen bonding in 1-butanol, it has a higher boiling point compared to diethyl ether. More energy is needed to overcome these stronger intermolecular forces in order to convert 1-butanol from a liquid to a gas during boiling.
To understand why only 1-butanol can form hydrogen bonds and why this leads to a difference in boiling points, let's explore the concept of intermolecular forces.
Intermolecular forces are attractive forces that occur between molecules and play a crucial role in determining a substance's physical properties, such as boiling point. There are several types of intermolecular forces, such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen bonding.
London dispersion forces primarily occur between nonpolar molecules and are caused by temporary fluctuations in electron density. Dipole-dipole forces occur between polar molecules and involve the attraction between the positive end of one molecule and the negative end of another molecule.
Hydrogen bonding is a strong type of intermolecular force that occurs specifically when hydrogen atoms are bonded to highly electronegative elements like oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine. These electronegative atoms can attract other molecules containing hydrogen atoms, resulting in the formation of hydrogen bonds.
Now, coming back to diethyl ether and 1-butanol, both compounds have the same types and numbers of atoms - carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. However, diethyl ether lacks a hydrogen atom attached to an oxygen atom, whereas 1-butanol has a -OH group (hydroxyl group) attached to its carbon chain.
This difference is crucial because 1-butanol has the ability to form hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen atom in the hydroxyl group of one 1-butanol molecule can form a hydrogen bond with the oxygen atom of another 1-butanol molecule. These intermolecular hydrogen bonds are stronger than the London dispersion forces and dipole-dipole forces present in diethyl ether.
The presence of hydrogen bonding in 1-butanol leads to stronger intermolecular forces between its molecules. Consequently, it requires more energy (higher temperature) to break these hydrogen bonds and convert the substance from a liquid to a gas during boiling. This results in a higher boiling point for 1-butanol compared to diethyl ether.
In summary, the difference in boiling points between diethyl ether and 1-butanol can be attributed to the fact that only 1-butanol can form hydrogen bonds due to the presence of a hydrogen atom attached to an oxygen atom, whereas diethyl ether lacks this functional group. Hydrogen bonding leads to stronger intermolecular forces, requiring more energy for the substance to boil and resulting in a higher boiling point.