Alcohols are comparatively more soluble in water than hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses. Explain this fact.
Alcohols are more soluble in water than hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses because alcohols have the ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. The –OH group in alcohols contains an oxygen atom that can form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which makes them soluble in water.
In contrast, hydrocarbons lack the ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. They do not have any polar functional group like –OH that can interact with water through hydrogen bonding. This difference explains why alcohols show higher solubility in water compared to hydrocarbons of similar molecular masses.
Explanation
The textbook clearly states that 'Solubility of alcohols and phenols in water is due to their ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules' and 'The ability of alcohols, phenols and ethers to form intermolecular hydrogen bonding with water makes them soluble in it.' Additionally, the context mentions that 'hydrogen bonding... is lacking in ethers and hydrocarbons.' This establishes the key difference: alcohols can form hydrogen bonds with water due to their –OH group, while hydrocarbons cannot, explaining the difference in solubility.