Question

Hydrocarbons do not dissolve in concentrated sulfuric acid, but methyl benzoate does. Explain this difference and write an equation showing the ions that are produced.

Answer 1

Hydrocarbons do not dissolve in concentrated sulfuric acid due to their nonpolar nature, but methyl benzoate dissolves because of its structure. The equation for the ions produced during the dissolution of methyl benzoate in concentrated sulfuric acid is: H₃C-COOCH₃ + H₂SO₄ → H₃C-COO⁻ + H₃O⁺ + HSO₄⁻

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason hydrocarbons do not dissolve in concentrated sulfuric acid, but methyl benzoate does, is because of the nature of their chemical structures. Hydrocarbons are nonpolar molecules, while concentrated sulfuric acid is a polar solvent. Polar solvents dissolve polar solutes and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes.

Methyl benzoate, on the other hand, has a benzene ring in its structure which contains delocalized electrons. This allows for interaction with the polar sulfuric acid, leading to its dissolution.

The equation for the ions produced when methyl benzoate dissolves in concentrated sulfuric acid is:

H₃C-COOCH₃ + H₂SO₄ → H₃C-COO⁻ + H₃O⁺ + HSO₄⁻

Answer 2

See explanation

Step-by-step explanation:

For a substance to dissolve in another, there must be some sort of interaction between the substances.

Recall that like dissolves like. That is, polar substances dissolve polar substances and non polar substances dissolve nonpolar substances.

Hydrocarbons are nonpolar hence they do not dissolve in polar sulphuric acid. Methyl benzoate is polar hence it dissolve in polar sulphuric acid.

The equation showing the ions is depicted in the image attached to this answer.