Which hydrocarbon is least likely to dissolve in water - hexane, butane, decane?
To determine which hydrocarbon is least likely to dissolve in water among hexane, butane, and decane, you need to consider the solubility properties of hydrocarbons and their interaction with water molecules.
Hydrocarbons, which consist only of carbon and hydrogen atoms, are nonpolar molecules. On the other hand, water is a highly polar molecule. The polarity or nonpolarity of a substance determines its solubility in water.
In general, nonpolar substances tend to be insoluble or only sparingly soluble in polar solvents like water. This is because the attractive forces between nonpolar molecules and polar solvents are weaker compared to those between polar molecules. In other words, "like dissolves like."
Now, let's look at the three hydrocarbons mentioned:
1. Hexane: Hexane has a chemical formula C6H14 and is composed of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. As a nonpolar hydrocarbon, it is relatively insoluble in water.
2. Butane: Butane has a chemical formula C4H10 and, like hexane, consists only of carbon and hydrogen atoms. It is also nonpolar and unlikely to dissolve in water.
3. Decane: Decane has a chemical formula C10H22 and, once again, is a nonpolar hydrocarbon. Similar to hexane and butane, it is unlikely to dissolve significantly in water.
Out of these three hydrocarbons, hexane, butane, and decane, the one that is least likely to dissolve in water is decane due to its larger molecular size and lower density.
In summary, decane is the hydrocarbon least likely to dissolve in water among hexane, butane, and decane due to its nonpolar nature and larger size.