Final answer:
Ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) is capable of dipole-dipole interactions, specifically hydrogen bonding, due to the polarity of its hydroxyl (-OH) group. Other listed compounds like Methane, Propane, and Butane are nonpolar and primarily exhibit London dispersion forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked which compound is capable of dipole-dipole interactions out of Methane (CH₄), Ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH), Propane (C₃H₈), and Butane (C₄H₁₀). In this context, dipole-dipole interactions occur between molecules that have permanent dipoles, which usually arise from the presence of polar bonds.
Ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) is capable of dipole-dipole interactions due to the polarity of the hydroxyl (-OH) group. This polar group can engage in hydrogen bonding (a particularly strong type of dipole-dipole interaction) because of its significant polarity and the presence of a hydrogen atom bonded to a highly electronegative oxygen atom.
In contrast, Methane (CH₄), Propane (C₃H₈), and Butane (C₄H₁₀) are nonpolar molecules with C-H bonds that have minimal polarity due to the small difference in electronegativity between carbon and hydrogen. Therefore, these molecules mainly exhibit London dispersion forces rather than dipole-dipole interactions.