Question

Wax is a solid mixture of hydrocarbon compounds consisting of molecules with long chains of carbon atoms. Which solvent would be most capable of dissolving wax?

Answer 1

To dissolve wax, a nonpolar solvent such as hexane or toluene is suitable because it can interact with the nonpolar hydrocarbon molecules that make up wax.

Step-by-step explanation:

Wax is a solid mixture consisting of long-chain hydrocarbon compounds with various functional groups such as fatty acids and alcohols. Given that wax is made up of nonpolar hydrocarbon molecules, a nonpolar solvent would be most capable of dissolving wax, following the principle that 'like dissolves like.' A suitable solvent for dissolving wax might be hexane or toluene, both of which are nonpolar solvents and capable of interacting with and dissolving nonpolar substances like wax.