The difference in boiling points of pentane and butanone can be explained by the type of intermolecular forces present in each compound.
Pentane is an alkane, and as such, it has only London dispersion forces (or Van der Waals forces) acting between its molecules. These forces are relatively weak and arise from temporary fluctuations in electron distribution, causing temporary dipoles. Because London dispersion forces are the only intermolecular forces present in pentane, it has relatively weak intermolecular forces, resulting in a lower boiling point.
On the other hand, butanone (also known as methyl ethyl ketone) is a ketone, which contains a carbonyl group (C=O). This allows for the formation of dipole-dipole interactions between the slightly positive carbon atom on the carbonyl group and the slightly negative oxygen atom on another molecule. These dipole-dipole interactions are stronger than London dispersion forces and contribute to a higher boiling point for butanone compared to pentane.
Therefore, the difference in boiling points between pentane and butanone can be explained by the difference in intermolecular forces. Pentane has only London dispersion forces, while butanone has dipole-dipole interactions in addition to London dispersion forces.
Type of intermolecular forces to explain the difference in boiling points of pentane and butanone
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