Question

The boiling temperatures of chloroform (an anesthetic), carbon tetrachloride (commonly used in the past for dry cleaning), and tetrachloroethylene (previously used as a degreasing agent) are 61.7°C, 76.5°C, and 121°C. The vapor pressure of a chemical is directly proportional to the inverse of the chemical's boiling point. If a large quantity of these compounds were spilled in the environment, which compound would you predict to have higher concentrations in the air above the site?

Answer 1

Chloroform

Step-by-step explanation:

Given the inverse proportionality between boiling point and vapor pressure, chloroform, the one with the lowest boiling point (61.7°C) is the one with the highest vapor pressure, that is, the most volatile. That's why if the 3 compounds were spilled, chloroform is predicted to more readily evaporate and to have higher concentrations in the air.