Question

considering the polarity of each compound and that of a solvent in which it is dissolved (including the potential for hydrogen bonding), give a brief explanation of each result:

a) malonic acid in water
- which i know is soluble

b) malonic acid in hexane
- which is also soluble

c) malonic acid in methyl alcohol
- which is partially soluble

please help.... i don't know how explain the reactions other then the solubilities

Answer 1

Here is what you are doing. Remember that like dissolves like. That is the same as saying that polar molecules will dissolve in polar solvents and non-polar molecules will dissolve in non-polar solvents. For example, NaCl is an ionic compound which means it is quite polar. It dissolve in a polar solvent like water BUT will not dissolve in hexane, pentane, etc because they are non-polar solvents and NaCl is a polar solute. By the same reasoning, hexane, a non-polar solvent, will dissolve octane, a non-polar solute, but hexane will not dissolve NaCl. Now you look at malonic acid which is an organic molecule with a chain of CH3-CH2...etc and ends in COOH. The COOH is a polar group so you would expect it to dissolve in water. Etc.

Answer 2

thank you!! that really helps me with the other problems also!! :)