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The boiling points of several alkanols are provided in the following table - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 9 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 9
The boiling points of several alkanols are provided in the following table. Alkanol Boiling point (°C) methanol 64.5 ethanol 78.3 propan-1-ol 97... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The boiling points of several alkanols are provided in the following table - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 9 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
By specifically referring to this experiment, explain why the alkanol identified in part i. could not be present.
Answer
Butan-1-ol has a boiling point of 117.2°C, which is higher than the collected fraction temperature of 97.2°C. Therefore, if butan-1-ol were present, it would not have boiled off at this temperature and would not be part of the distillate.
Step 3
Provide one reason why the distillation flask should not be heated using a bunsen burner.
Answer
The distillation flask should not be heated with a bunsen burner because it can lead to overheating and potentially cause the flask to crack or the content to vaporize too rapidly, creating a risk of fire or explosion.
Step 4
Explain, in terms of intermolecular forces, the difference between the boiling points of these two compounds.
Answer
The difference in boiling points between butane and propan-1-ol is primarily due to the presence of hydrogen bonding in propan-1-ol. While both compounds have similar molar masses, propan-1-ol exhibits stronger intermolecular forces because of its ability to form hydrogen bonds, causing it to have a higher boiling point compared to the weaker van der Waals forces present in butane.