Final answer:
Ethylamine is a stronger base than aminoethanol because its base dissociation constant (Kb) is higher. The Kb value for aminoethanol is 3.1 x 10^-5, whereas the calculated Kb from the given pKb for ethylamine is approximately 4.4 x 10^-4, which is greater, indicating that ethylamine is the more potent base.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether aminoethanol is a stronger or weaker base than ethylamine, we compare their dissociation constants. The Kb for aminoethanol is given as 3.1 x 10-5, while for ethylamine, the pKb is 3.36. The pKb is the negative logarithm of the base dissociation constant (Kb), so a lower pKb corresponds to a higher Kb value, indicating a stronger base.
For ethylamine, converting the pKb to Kb can be done by taking the antilog (10 to the power of negative pKb): Kb = 10-3.36. This yields a Kb value of approximately 4.4 x 10-4, which is greater than the Kb for aminoethanol. Therefore, ethylamine is the stronger base compared to aminoethanol.
The general rule is that a higher Kb (or lower pKb) indicates a stronger base. Consequently, with its higher base dissociation constant, ethylamine is better at accepting protons than aminoethanol, making it a stronger base out of the two.