Final answer:
Methanol is a liquid at room temperature because it can form strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which increases its boiling point and requires more energy to evaporate than nonpolar molecules of similar size.
Step-by-step explanation:
Methanol is a liquid at room temperature due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds between its molecules, which requires a relatively high amount of energy to overcome.
Methanol (CH3OH) is a liquid at room temperature primarily because of hydrogen bonding, which occurs between the hydroxyl group (OH) of one methanol molecule and the hydrogen of another. This type of intermolecular force is much stronger than the London dispersion forces present in nonpolar molecules like alkanes. Alkanes with one to four carbon atoms, which are nonpolar and interact only through weak dispersion forces, are gases at room temperature. In contrast, methanol with its ability to form hydrogen bonds results in a higher boiling point and remains a liquid at room temperature. The boiling point of methanol is around 65 °C, which is well above room temperature, enabling it to stay in the liquid state under normal conditions. The boiling point is a measure of the amount of energy necessary to separate a liquid molecule from its adjacent molecules, and due to hydrogen bonding, more energy is needed to transition methanol from liquid to gas compared to similar-sized nonpolar molecules.