Final answer:
Vanillin is more soluble in methylene chloride than in water because methylene chloride is a polar solvent, while vanillin is a polar compound.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vanillin is more soluble in methylene chloride than in water. Methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane, is an organic solvent that is nonpolar, while vanillin is a polar compound. Like dissolves like, which means that polar substances dissolve best in polar solvents. Therefore, since vanillin is polar, it will dissolve better in methylene chloride, which is also polar.
On the other hand, water is a polar solvent. Substances that are polar or have ionic bonds are more soluble in water. Methanol (CH3OH) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) both have polar characteristics, with methanol being a polar molecule and sodium sulfate having ionic bonds. Octane (C8H18) is a nonpolar substance and will not dissolve well in water.