Question

Which of the following take place when CH2Cl2 dissolves in water?

A) Dipole-dipole interactions form between CH2Cl2 and water.
B) Hydrogen bonds form between CH2Cl2 and water.
C) Dipole-dipole interactions between CH2Cl2 molecules break.
D) Hydrogen bonds between water molecules break.
E) CH2Cl2 dissociates completely into ions.
F) Ion-dipole interactions form between water and Cl-.
G) Some, but not all, of the CH2Cl2 dissociates into ions.

Answer 1

When CH2Cl2 dissolves in water, dipole-dipole interactions form between CH2Cl2 and water molecules, and hydrogen bonds between water molecules break. CH2Cl2 does not form hydrogen bonds nor does it dissociate into ions in solution. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

When CH2Cl2 dissolves in water, several processes occur involving intermolecular interactions. Since CH2Cl2 is a molecular compound with polar covalent bonds, it experiences dipole-dipole interactions with water molecules due to the partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms in water and the partial negative charge on the chlorine atoms in CH2Cl2.

However, CH2Cl2 does not form hydrogen bonds with water because it does not have the necessary highly polar N-H, O-H, or F-H bonds required to form hydrogen bonds. As CH2Cl2 is a nonionic compound, it does not dissociate into ions in the solution.

Hence, the correct answer is that dipole-dipole interactions form between CH2Cl2 and water (A), and hydrogen bonds between water molecules break (D) to allow the insertion of CH2Cl2 into the solution.