Alkanol Hydrogen Bonding Ambiguous ? (1 Viewer)

thomasdo1

Member
Joined
May 21, 2014
Messages
70
Gender
Male
HSC
2016
In the Jacaranda HSC Chemistry textbook, it defines that alkanols can achieve 2 hydrogen bonds.
Picture: http://puu.sh/o1VCx/5498a5aa57.png

And because of this, it explains the difference in boiling points between alkanols and alkanoic acids through the strength of the hydrogen bond instead of the 'amount' of hydrogen bonds.

A traditional answer would be. Alkanoic acids have higher boiling points because it has a higher inter molecular mass, it has stronger dipole-dipole attractions, and it has twice the capability of forming a hydrogen bond when compared to alkanols.

This textbook however says that alkanoic acids have higher boiling points because they have higher inter molecular mass, stronger dipole-dipole attractions, and they have a greater extent of hydrogen bonding

Which would be correct ? If I said in the HSC exam that the difference in boiling points arise because alkanoic acids can form dimer bonds while alkanols can not and that dimer hydrogen bonds are stronger ? Would I get the mark ?

edit: how would more hydrogen bonding be created if you added more methanol to the image, there's no more available oxygen or hydrogen to form hydrogen bonds with ....
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top