Question

Rank the following compounds in order of decreasing boiling point: sodium fluoride (NaF), carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄), and chloromethane (CH₃Cl)?

Answer 1

Sodium fluoride (NaF) has the highest boiling point due to strong ionic bonds, followed by chloromethane (CH3Cl) with moderate boiling point due to dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion forces, and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) has the lowest boiling point due to only London dispersion forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

To rank the following compounds in order of decreasing boiling points, sodium fluoride (NaF), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), and chloromethane (CH3Cl), we need to consider the types of intermolecular forces each substance exhibits. Sodium fluoride (NaF) is an ionic compound, and thus has very strong ionic bonds which require a lot of energy to overcome. Therefore, it has the highest boiling point of the three. Chloromethane (CH3Cl) is a polar molecule with dipole-dipole interactions and also exhibits London dispersion forces. Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), on the other hand, is a non-polar molecule and only exhibits London dispersion forces, which are typically weaker than the ionic bonds in NaF and the dipole-dipole interactions in CH3Cl.

Thus, the order of decreasing boiling points will be:

1. Sodium fluoride (NaF) - Highest boiling point due to strong ionic bonds.
2. Chloromethane (CH3Cl) - Moderate boiling point due to dipole-dipole interactions and London dispersion forces.
3. Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) - Lowest boiling point due to only London dispersion forces.