What is the effect of increasing the number of carbon atoms in alcohols on their boiling points?

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Q: What is the effect of increasing the number of carbon atoms in alcohols on their boiling points?

Solution: The boiling points of alcohols increase with the number of carbon atoms due to increased van der Waals forces.

Steps: 7

Step 1: Understand what alcohols are. Alcohols are organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon atom.
Step 2: Know that alcohols have a carbon chain. The number of carbon atoms in an alcohol refers to the length of this carbon chain.
Step 3: Learn about boiling points. The boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid turns into a gas.
Step 4: Recognize that molecules attract each other. Molecules in a liquid attract each other through forces called van der Waals forces.
Step 5: Realize that more carbon atoms mean more surface area. As you add more carbon atoms to an alcohol, the molecule becomes larger.
Step 6: Understand that larger molecules have stronger attractions. More carbon atoms increase the van der Waals forces between the alcohol molecules.
Step 7: Conclude that stronger attractions require more energy to break. Therefore, as the number of carbon atoms increases, the boiling point of the alcohol also increases.