Question

For the list of hydrocarbons, rank the hydrocarbons in strength from weakest acid to strongest acid?

Answer 1

To rank hydrocarbons like C2H6, C3H8, and C4H10 in terms of boiling point, the correct order from lowest to highest boiling point is ethane < propane < butane, based on the increasing molecular size and resulting stronger van der Waals forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

To rank hydrocarbons in terms of boiling point, we must consider the molecular size, which is directly related to the molecular mass and the surface area that can participate in intermolecular forces. Typically, as the number of carbons in a hydrocarbon chain increases, so does its boiling point, due to the increased London dispersion forces (or van der Waals forces), which are a type of weak intermolecular force. For the hydrocarbons C₂H₆ (ethane), C₃H₈ (propane), and C₄H₁₀ (butane), the order from lowest to highest boiling point is as follows:

1. 
   
3. C₂H₆ (ethane) - smallest molecule with the weakest dispersion forces.
4. 
   
6. C₃H₈ (propane) - larger molecule with stronger dispersion forces than C₂H₆.
7. 
   
9. C₄H₁₀ (butane) - largest molecule with the strongest dispersion forces among the three.

Thus, the correct order from lowest to highest boiling point is ethane < propane < butane.