Answer to Question #187951 in Organic Chemistry for Geovani Clarke

Question

Explain, using examples, why some alcohols are soluble in water while others are insoluble?

                                                                                                                      

 

 

Answer 1

Because alcohols form hydrogen bonds with water, they tend to be relatively soluble in water. The hydroxyl group is referred to as a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) group, because it forms hydrogen bonds with water and enhances the solubility of an alcohol in water.

The reason why the solubility decreases as the length of hydrocarbon chain increases is because it is requires more energy to overcome the hydrogen bonds between the alcohol molecules as the molecules are more tightly packed together as the size and mass increases.