Question

2.Consider Table 13.3 (Page 18 of 7/9Slides)and determine which solvents (among water, acetone, methanol, ethanol, hexane, toluene, and carbon tetrachloride) would dissolve the following solutes. In each case, specify the type of solvent-solute intermolecular forces:[3]

a.Acetic acid (CH3COOH)

b.Sodium nitrate (NaNO3)

c.Olive oil

Table 13.

Common Polar Solvents	Common Nonpolar Solvents
Water (H2 O)	Hexane (C6H14)
Acetone (CH3COCH3)	Diethyl ether (CH3CH2OCH2CH3)
Methanol (CH3OH)	Toluene (C7H8)
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH)	Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)

Answer 1

a) Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is highly soluble in water due to the formation of hydrogen bonding between both molecules, still, it is weak acid as most of the molecules dissociate into ions in water due to less number of hydrogen ions H+.

Acetic acid is hydrophilic polar solvent it is soluble in ethanol and acetic acid due to hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interaction.

It is also miscible with a non-polar solvent like hexane, diethyl ether and carbon tetrachloride due to London dispersion forces. And with CCl4 it is ion-dipole interaction. And dipole-dipole interaction with diethyl ether.

b) Sodium nitrate

It is highly soluble in water due to hydrogen bond formation. It is also soluble in methanol, ethanol due to hydrogen bond intermolecular force.

As it is hydrophobic it is insoluble with a non-polar solvent.

c) Olive oil

Olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acid with 16-18 carbons alkane chain and it also has terminal -COOH group and it is nonpolar. So, it insoluble with water, ethanol, methanol, and acetone.

As hexane and toluene are non-polar, so, olive oil gets dissolved in toluene and hexane, through London dispersion forces.

As CCl4 is also non-polar solvent, it dissolves olive oil through the London dispersion force.