Question

PLS HELPPP
why is CH3OH more polar than CH3CH2OH

Answer 1

Methanol (CH3OH) is more polar than ethanol (CH3CH2OH) because it is smaller and the polar -OH group has a significant impact on its overall polarity. Also, the extra carbon in ethanol adds hydrophobic character, diminishing the effect of the hydrophilic -OH group and making methanol the more polar of the two.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question seems to contain a typo and should likely be asking why methanol (CH3OH) is more polar than ethanol (CH3CH2OH). Methanol is more polar than ethanol partly because it is smaller and has less steric hindrance which allows its polar -OH group to have a more significant impact on the overall polarity of the molecule. Additionally, as ethanol has an extra carbon, the increased alkyl group size introduces more hydrophobic character, slightly diminishing the effect of the hydrophilic -OH group.

Molecules with permanent dipole moments, like CH3OH and CH3CH2OH, experience dipole-dipole interactions, which are usually stronger than dispersion forces. However, CH3OH is more polar due to its ability to form stronger hydrogen bonds compared to CH3CH2OH, as the additional methyl group in ethanol makes it slightly less electronegative overall and hinders the polarization effect of the OH group.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

Polarity is about differencens in electronegativity. CH bonds have around the same electronegativity value so a CH bond is nonpolar. The more CH bonds there are in a molecule, the more nonpolar it is. Since CH3CH2OH has more carbon-hydrogen bonds than CH3OH, it is more nonpolar. With the same reasoning, since CH3OH has less CH bonds, it's more polar.