Answer:
isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O) < glycerol (C3H8O3) < water (H2O).
Concepts:
Isopropyl Alcohol is a colorless, flammable, water-soluble liquid, C3H8O, produced from propylene by the action of sulfuric acid and hydrolysis: used chiefly in the manufacture of antifreeze and rubbing alcohol and as a solvent.
Water is a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes rivers, etc.: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen by weight.
Glycerol is a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C3H8O3, usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emoluments.
Carbon is a widely distributed element that forms organic compounds in combination with hydrogen, oxygen, etc., and that occurs in a pure state as diamond and graphite, and in an impure state as charcoal. Symbol: C; atomic weight: 12.011; atomic number: 6; specific gravity: (of diamond) 3.51 at 20°C; (of graphite) 2.26 at 20°C.
Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that combines chemically with oxygen to form water: the lightest of the known elements. Symbol: H; atomic weight: 1.00797; atomic number: 1; density: 0.0899 g/l at 0°C and 760 mm pressure.
Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element constituting one-fifth of the volume of the atmosphere and present in a combined state in nature. It is the supporter of combustion in air and was the standard of atomic, combining, and molecular weights until 1961, when carbon 12 became the new standard. Symbol: 0; atomic weight: 15.9994; atomic number: 8; density: 1.4290 g/l at 0°C and 760 mm pressure.
The intermolecular forces in a substance are determined by the type and strength of the interactions between its molecules. In this case, we can rank water (H2O), isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O), and glycerol (C3H8O3) in order of increasing intermolecular force strength as follows:
- Isopropyl Alcohol (C3H8O): Isopropyl alcohol exhibits intermolecular forces such as van der Waals forces, specifically dipole-dipole interactions. These forces arise due to the partial positive charge on the carbon atom and the partial negative charge on the oxygen atom in the alcohol group (OH). While dipole-dipole interactions are relatively weak compared to other intermolecular forces, they are stronger than the forces observed in water.
- Glycerol (C3H8O3): Glycerol, also known as glycerin, has three hydroxyl (OH) groups. Similar to water, glycerol can also form hydrogen bonds. However, in glycerol, there are three hydroxyl groups available for hydrogen bonding, resulting in stronger intermolecular forces compared to water. As a result, glycerol exhibits the highest intermolecular force strength among the three substances listed.
- Water (H2O): Water molecules are capable of forming hydrogen bonds, which are a type of dipole-dipole interaction. Hydrogen bonding occurs between the partially positive hydrogen atom of one water molecule and the partially negative oxygen atom of another water molecule. Hydrogen bonds are stronger than regular dipole-dipole interactions, giving water higher intermolecular force strength compared to isopropyl alcohol.
Therefore, the ranking of intermolecular force strength from weakest to strongest is: isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O) < glycerol (C3H8O3) < water (H2O).