Indicate which is more soluble in ethonal:
acetic acid CH3COOH or
stearic acid C17H35COOH
I think acetic acid maybe more soluble but I don't know why
Like dissolves like.
CH3COOH is more like ethanol (or is that ethanal--it makes no difference in the answer) than C17H35COOH. The last molecule, stearic acid, is a long long chain while both ethanol and CH3COOH are small molecules.
so they are the same and both dissolve in ethanol or acetic acid dissolves in ethanol because they are small molecules
I'm not sure you said in your statement what I said in mine so I'll repeat mine another way.
Acetic acid is more soluble in ethanol than stearic acid BECAUSE acetic acid is like ethanol in terms of side and molar mass. Stearic acid may dissolve somewhat in ethanol but ethanol is C2H5OH whereas stearic acid is that long long chain of C17H35COOH. It dissolves a little because of the COOH group BUT C17H35 makes it look more like a hydrocarbon than an alcohol or an acid.
To determine which compound is more soluble in ethanol, we can compare their chemical structures and identify the factors that affect solubility.
First, let's take a look at the chemical structures of acetic acid (CH3COOH) and stearic acid (C17H35COOH).
Acetic acid (CH3COOH) has a simple structure with a carboxylic acid functional group (COOH). It is a polar compound due to the presence of the electronegative oxygen atom and the polarity of the carbon-oxygen bonds. The polar nature of acetic acid allows it to form stronger intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding) with ethanol molecules.
Stearic acid (C17H35COOH), on the other hand, has a much larger structure composed of a long hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid functional group (COOH) at the end. Although stearic acid also contains a carboxylic acid group like acetic acid, the presence of the long nonpolar hydrocarbon chain makes it less polar overall.
Due to the larger size and nonpolar nature of the hydrocarbon chain in stearic acid, its ability to form strong interactions with the polar ethanol molecules is reduced compared to acetic acid. As a result, acetic acid is generally more soluble in ethanol than stearic acid.
To summarize, acetic acid (CH3COOH) is more soluble in ethanol due to its polar structure, which allows for stronger intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding) with ethanol molecules.