Question #cc3a5
1 Answer
Sep 21, 2016
In water, alcoholic solubility is limited by the length (and size) of the hydrocarbyl tail.
Explanation:
Methanol and ethanol are infinitely miscible (i.e. soluble) in water. This is reasonable, because to a first approx., ethanol and methanol are water-like solvents - i.e. they are half a water molecule. Propanol, and butanol have limited solubility, and as the chain grows, solubility decreases. Methanol is insoluble in hexanes, whereas ethanol is soluble. Can you account for these data?
See here for another treatment.
