question_answer 17)

Alcohols are comparatively more soluble in water thanhydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses. Explain this fact. Consider polar nature of water as well as alcohol; presence of hydrogen bonding.  

Answer:

Water and alcohols both are polar in nature. When an alcoholis dissolved in water, it forms hydrogen bonds with water by breakingthe H-bonding already existing between the water molecules. Hydrocarbons are non-polar in nature and do not form H-bonds with water molecules. Therefore alcohols are readily soluble in waterwhereas hydrocarbons are not. Hydrogen bonding among alcohol and water