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Which of the following straight-chain alkanes has the lowest boiling point?

A. nonane
B. heptane
C. pentane
D. decane
E. ethane

User RAAAAM
by
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1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

E.) ethane

Step-by-step explanation:

Each of these molecules is a simple carbon chain surrounded by hydrogens. The number of carbons can be determined by the prefixes:

---> non- = 9 carbons

---> hept- = 7 carbons

---> pent- = 5 carbons

---> dec- = 10 carbons

---> eth- = 2 carbons

The more carbons there are, the higher the boiling point. This is because it is more difficult to break a longer chain than it is a shorter one. Therefore, since ethane has the lowest number of carbons, it has the lowest boiling point.

User Vlad Khambir
by
8.7k points
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