Which statement explains why water and ethanol have different boiling points?(1 point)
Responses
Water exhibits hydrogen bonding, while ethanol does not.
Water and ethanol have different molecular structures.
Water and ethanol have different melting points.
Water is liquid at room temperature, while ethanol is not.
The correct statement that explains why water and ethanol have different boiling points is: "Water exhibits hydrogen bonding, while ethanol does not."
To understand why this is the case, it is important to consider the intermolecular forces present in both substances. In water, the oxygen atom is highly electronegative and attracts the electron density towards itself, creating a partial negative charge. The hydrogen atoms, on the other hand, have a partial positive charge.
Due to these charges, water molecules can form hydrogen bonds between the positively charged hydrogen atoms of one molecule and the negatively charged oxygen atoms of neighboring molecules. These hydrogen bonds are relatively strong, requiring a significant amount of energy to break them. This is also why water has a high boiling point, as it takes a lot of heat to break these bonds and allow the molecules to transition from a liquid to a gaseous state.
In contrast, ethanol does not form hydrogen bonds to the same extent as water. Ethanol molecules have an oxygen atom, like water, which can also create partial negative and positive charges. However, the presence of an alkyl group (a carbon chain) in ethanol reduces the availability of hydrogen atoms for hydrogen bonding. Consequently, the intermolecular forces in ethanol are weaker than in water, resulting in a lower boiling point for ethanol compared to water.
Therefore, the correct explanation is that water exhibits hydrogen bonding, while ethanol does not, leading to different boiling points for the two liquids.