The boiling points, surface tensions, and viscosities of water and several alcohols are as shown below: (b) How do you explain the fact that propanol and ethylene glycol have similar molecular weights (60 versus 62 amu), yet the viscosity of ethylene glycol is more than 10 times larger than propa- nol?

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Identify the molecular structures of propanol and ethylene glycol. Propanol is C3H7OH, and ethylene glycol is C2H4(OH)2.

Recognize that both molecules have similar molecular weights, but ethylene glycol has two hydroxyl (OH) groups, while propanol has only one.

Understand that the presence of more hydroxyl groups in ethylene glycol leads to stronger hydrogen bonding compared to propanol.

Explain that stronger hydrogen bonding in ethylene glycol results in higher intermolecular forces, which increases its viscosity.

Conclude that the increased viscosity of ethylene glycol compared to propanol is due to its ability to form more extensive hydrogen bonding networks.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Intermolecular Forces

Intermolecular forces are the attractive forces between molecules that influence physical properties such as boiling point, viscosity, and surface tension. Ethylene glycol has stronger hydrogen bonding due to its two hydroxyl (-OH) groups, leading to higher viscosity compared to propanol, which has only one -OH group. This difference in hydrogen bonding significantly affects how the molecules interact with each other.

Viscosity

Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, which is influenced by the size and shape of molecules, as well as the strength of intermolecular forces. Higher viscosity indicates that a liquid flows less easily. In the case of ethylene glycol, its ability to form extensive hydrogen bonds results in a more structured network, increasing its viscosity compared to propanol.

Molecular Weight vs. Physical Properties

While molecular weight can provide some insight into the properties of a substance, it does not solely determine characteristics like viscosity. Ethylene glycol and propanol have similar molecular weights, but their differing structures and the number of functional groups lead to significant differences in their physical properties. This highlights the importance of molecular structure in understanding the behavior of substances.

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