Which substance is the least likely to dissolve in water?
methanol (polar)
vegetable oil (nonpolar)
table salt (ionic)
methane (gas)
I think its B or
D but not positive
vegetable oil and methane are both non-polar and do not dissolve well in water. However at high pressure and low temperature methane will dissolve and is sometimes found in well water (unfortunately).
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/gases-solubility-water-d_1148.html
so is it b or d? i need answers
The substance that is least likely to dissolve in water is vegetable oil (nonpolar). Water is a polar molecule, meaning it has a partial positive charge at one end and a partial negative charge at the other end. Substances that are polar, like methanol, can dissolve in water because the positive and negative ends of the water molecules can interact with the partial charges in the polar substance. On the other hand, substances that are nonpolar, like vegetable oil, do not have charged regions and cannot form strong interactions with water molecules, making them less likely to dissolve in water. Therefore, option B, vegetable oil (nonpolar), is the correct answer. Option D, methane (gas), is not soluble in water but it is not listed as one of the options.
To determine which substance is the least likely to dissolve in water, we need to consider the nature of water and the solute. Water is known as a polar solvent, meaning it has a partial positive charge (δ+) near its hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge (δ-) near its oxygen atom.
Now let's examine the solutes:
A) Methanol (polar): Methanol is a polar substance because it contains a hydroxyl group (-OH) that can interact with the partial charges of water. It has the potential to dissolve in water due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules and methanol. Therefore, methanol is likely to dissolve in water.
B) Vegetable oil (nonpolar): Vegetable oil is a nonpolar substance. Nonpolar substances do not have charges or polar groups that can interact with the partial charges of water. As a result, vegetable oil is unlikely to dissolve in water.
C) Table salt (ionic): Table salt (sodium chloride) is an ionic compound composed of positive sodium ions (Na+) and negative chloride ions (Cl-). When table salt is dissolved in water, the positive and negative ions separate and are surrounded by water molecules through a process called hydration. Due to the strong attraction between the ions and the partial charges of water, table salt readily dissolves in water. Therefore, it is likely to dissolve in water.
D) Methane (gas): Methane is a gas composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms. It does not have polar groups or charges that can effectively interact with water. Therefore, methane is unable to dissolve to a significant extent in water and is the least likely to dissolve among the options given.
So, your instincts were right! The substance least likely to dissolve in water is D) methane (gas).