Answer to Question #58794 in Organic Chemistry for ramesh kumar

Question

alkanes with odd numbers of carbon atoms have lower melting points than those with and even numbers of carbon atoms explains?

Answer 1

Alkane molecules with odd numbers of carbon atoms have lower intermolecular attractions and correspondingly lower melting points because alkanes with an odd number of carbon atoms pack less tightly because the methyl groups at the ends of their chains can avoid those of another chain only by increasing the distance between their chains.