Final answer:
Ibuprofen may have limited solubility in diethyl ether due to its polar nature, contrasting with the non-polar nature of diethyl ether.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ibuprofen, a common nonprescription pain medication, has certain polar functional groups, such as the carboxylic acid group, which could suggest some degree of solubility in polar solvents. Diethyl ether, however, is a solvent with a very small dipole and primarily exhibits London forces for intermolecular attractions, which makes it a non-polar solvent. Ibuprofen is likely to be poorly soluble in diethyl ether due to these properties. Diethyl ether is used as a solvent for substances like gums, fats, waxes, and resins and was historically used as an anesthetic.
Given diethyl ether's non-polar nature and its ability to dissolve other non-polar substances efficiently, ibuprofen's polar characteristics would limit its solubility in this solvent. The solubility of a substance is influenced by the 'like dissolves like' principle, where polar and ionic substances are more soluble in polar solvents, and non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents.