Which of the following alkanes is the least soluble in water?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Which of the following alkanes is the least soluble in water?
Methane
Ethane
Propane
Butane
Methane is the least soluble in water due to its nonpolar nature.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Which of the following alkanes is the least soluble in water?
Solution: Methane is the least soluble in water due to its nonpolar nature.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what alkanes are. Alkanes are hydrocarbons that consist only of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms, connected by single bonds.
Step 2: Know that solubility in water depends on the polarity of the molecule. Polar molecules tend to dissolve well in water, while nonpolar molecules do not.
Step 3: Identify the alkanes in the question. Common alkanes include methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and butane (C4H10).
Step 4: Determine the polarity of each alkane. Alkanes are generally nonpolar because they have a symmetrical distribution of charge.
Step 5: Compare the sizes of the alkanes. As the size of the alkane increases, the nonpolar characteristics become more pronounced.
Step 6: Conclude that methane, being the smallest alkane, is the least soluble in water due to its nonpolar nature.
