Final answer:
CH₃OH (methanol) does not ionize significantly in water, but if it dissociates, it would form minimal amounts of hydroxide ions (OH-) and hydronium ions (H3O+). Methanol acts as a very weak acid and only a tiny fraction would exist as CH3O- and H3O+ ions in an aqueous solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ions formed when CH3OH (methanol) dissociates in water are very minimal because methanol is a weak acid and does not ionize significantly in water. However, if it were to dissociate, the products would include hydroxide ions (OH-) and hydronium ions (H3O+). It's important to note that methanol's dissociation in water is not similar to that of strong acids like HCl, which dissociate completely to give H+ (as H3O+ in water) and Cl- ions. Methanol can undergo a very small amount of acid-base reaction with water, producing these ions:
CH3OH + H2O → CH3O- + H3O+
Here, a lone pair of electrons on the oxygen of the methanol molecule accepts a proton (H+) from a water molecule, resulting in the formation of a methoxide ion (CH3O-) and a hydronium ion (H3O+). In reality, the reaction lies heavily on the left side, favoring the un-dissociated form of methanol.