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Aldehydes and Ketones

Boiling points and solubility of carbonyl compounds

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit A2 1

Overview

Strongest intermolecular force acting between molecules of propanone, why propanal boils at a higher temperature than butane and why propanone mixes with water in all proportions.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Name the strongest intermolecular force acting between molecules of propanone.

Key term

Explain why propanal boils at a higher temperature than butane, which has a similar relative molecular mass.

Key term

Explain why propan-1-ol boils at 97 °C while propanal boils at 49 °C.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Name the strongest intermolecular force acting between molecules of propanone.

    Model answer

    The strongest force is permanent dipole–dipole attraction arising from the polar carbonyl group.

  2. 2

    Explain why propanal boils at a higher temperature than butane, which has a similar relative molecular mass.

    Model answer

    Propanal molecules attract one another by permanent dipole–dipole forces as well as van der Waals forces, whereas butane has only van der Waals forces.

  3. 3

    Explain why propan-1-ol boils at 97 °C while propanal boils at 49 °C.

    Model answer

    Propan-1-ol molecules hydrogen bond to one another through the hydroxyl group, and these are much stronger than the dipole–dipole forces between propanal molecules.

  4. 4

    Explain why aldehyde and ketone molecules cannot hydrogen bond to each other.

    Model answer

    Hydrogen bonding requires a hydrogen atom attached directly to oxygen, nitrogen or fluorine, and in a carbonyl compound every hydrogen is attached to carbon.

  5. 5

    Describe how the boiling points of the aldehydes change as the chain lengthens from ethanal to hexanal.

    Model answer

    The boiling points rise steadily because the molecules have more electrons and the van der Waals forces between them become stronger.

  6. 6

    Explain why propanone mixes with water in all proportions.

    Model answer

    The lone pairs on the carbonyl oxygen accept hydrogen bonds from water molecules, and the molecule is small enough for this to outweigh the disruption of the hydrogen bonding in water.

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