Question
Explain why alcohols and ethers of comparable molecular mass have different boiling points?
✓
Answer
Ethers have low polarity and as a result do not show any association by intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Therefore, ethers have low boiling points and lower than that of isomeric alcohols and almost same as those of alkanes of comparable molecular masses.
The large difference in boiling points of alcohols and ethers is due to the presence of hydrogen bonding in alcohols.
| $CH_3CH_2OCH_2CH_3$ | $CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_2OH$ | $CH_3CH_2CH_2CH_2CH_3$ |
| Diethyl ether | n-Butyl alcohol | n-Pentane |
| $307.6\ K$ | $390\ K$ | $309.1\ K$ |
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