Explain why olive oil has a higher viscosity than water, by selecting an appropriate word from the provided list and filling in the following blanks.
Oleic acid has a higher viscosity than water because it is a much________ molecule than water with ________ ________.
List of words
-dispersion forces
-dipole-dipole forces
-ion-dipole forces
-smaller
-more polar
-larger
Oleic acid has a higher viscosity than water because it is a much larger molecule than larger dispersion forces
Oleic acid has a higher viscosity than water because it is a much "larger" molecule than water with "dispersion forces."
Olive oil has a higher viscosity than water because it is a much more "polar" molecule than water with "dispersion forces."
Explanation:
In this context, viscosity refers to the fluid's resistance to flow. The viscosity of a substance is influenced by various factors, including the nature of the molecules present and the intermolecular forces between them.
Olive oil (containing the primary component oleic acid) is a larger molecule than water. Additionally, it is more polar. The polar nature of oleic acid molecules leads to stronger intermolecular forces known as dispersion forces. These forces arise due to temporary fluctuations in electron distribution, causing neighboring molecules to attract each other. As a result, olive oil's larger, more polar molecules experience stronger dispersion forces between them, making it more resistant to flow and thus more viscous compared to water.
In contrast, water is a smaller molecule and less polar than oleic acid. Water molecules primarily experience dipole-dipole forces, which occur due to the unequal distribution of electrons between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms within a water molecule. Although dipole-dipole forces are present in both olive oil and water, the stronger dispersion forces in olive oil contribute to its higher viscosity.