Look up the solubility of NaCl in both water and ethanol (in the CRC handbook of chemistry which i don't have access to, and any help would be appreciated) Consider the dissolution process, and competing intermolecular forces to account for the observed differences in solubility.
I have looked in my CRC Handbook, an old copy, and I can't find that information. I looked in The Merck Index and found the solubility in water but not alcohol. Sorry
Ok thank-you anyway. I appreciate it.
To find the solubility of NaCl in water and ethanol, you can use the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, which unfortunately you don't have access to. However, I can guide you on how to approach the question and explain the concept behind it.
When looking at the solubility of NaCl in different solvents, we need to consider the dissolution process and the competing intermolecular forces involved.
Water is a highly polar solvent due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound consisting of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-).
When NaCl is added to water, the polar water molecules surround the individual ions and break the ionic bonds holding NaCl together. The positive end of the water molecule attracts the negatively charged chloride ion, and the negative end of the water molecule attracts the positively charged sodium ion.
These ion-dipole interactions between water and the individual ions are very strong, allowing NaCl to dissolve readily in water. The high solubility of NaCl in water is due to the favorable interaction between the polar water molecules and the ionic compound.
On the other hand, ethanol is a less polar solvent compared to water. It has a partial positive charge on the carbon atom and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom due to the presence of the hydroxyl group (-OH).
Ethanol can also dissolve NaCl, but the solubility is much lower compared to water. Ethanol molecules have weaker intermolecular forces and cannot strongly interact with the Na+ and Cl- ions as water does.
In ethanol, the main intermolecular forces at play are dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding within the ethanol itself. These forces are not strong enough to fully dissociate NaCl into individual ions and form ion-dipole interactions like in water.
As a result, the solubility of NaCl in ethanol is relatively low compared to water, because the competing intermolecular forces within ethanol are not as favorable for dissolving an ionic compound.
To determine the exact solubility values of NaCl in water and ethanol, you would need to consult a reliable source such as the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, access to which you mentioned you don't have.