Which compound below would be expected to have the highest boiling point?
a) CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3
b) CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH-CH3
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CH3
c) CH3-CH-CH2-CH-CH3
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CH3 CH3
d) CH3
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CH3-CH-C-CH3
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CH3 CH3
I think its A?
See your two other posts below.
To determine which compound would have the highest boiling point, you need to consider the molecular structure and intermolecular forces present in each compound.
In this case, all the compounds are nonpolar, meaning they have similar electron distributions throughout the molecule. So, the boiling point will primarily depend on the strength of van der Waals forces between the molecules.
The strength of van der Waals forces depends on the surface area and shape of the molecules. The larger the surface area, the more opportunity there is for intermolecular forces to interact, leading to higher boiling points.
Now let's analyze each compound:
a) CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3: This compound has a long straight chain of carbon atoms, which provides a large surface area for intermolecular forces to act upon. Therefore, it is expected to have a high boiling point.
b) CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH-CH3: This compound is similar to compound a) but has a branch in the middle. Although the branch reduces the surface area, it does not significantly affect the boiling point compared to compound a). So, its boiling point is still relatively high.
c) CH3-CH-CH2-CH-CH3: This compound has two branches, reducing the surface area compared to compounds a) and b). As a result, the boiling point of this compound is lower than those of a) and b).
d) CH3-CH-C-CH3:
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CH3
This compound has a central carbon atom connected to two methyl groups. Although it has a larger surface area compared to compound b), it has a more compact and symmetrical shape, which decreases the strength of van der Waals forces. Therefore, the boiling point of this compound is expected to be lower than that of compound b) but higher than compound c).
Based on the analysis above, the compound with the highest boiling point would be compound a) (CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3) since it has the longest carbon chain and hence the largest surface area for intermolecular forces to act upon.