Which of the following compounds has the lowest boiling point?
Answer Details
The compound with the lowest boiling point is C\(_4\)H\(_10\).
Boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid changes into a gas. The strength of the intermolecular forces between the particles of a substance determines its boiling point. In general, compounds with weaker intermolecular forces have lower boiling points.
C\(_4\)H\(_10\) is a simple alkane with weak van der Waals forces between its molecules. CH\(_3\)COOH is a carboxylic acid and has stronger hydrogen bonding between its molecules compared to C\(_4\)H\(_10\). H\(_2\)O has extremely strong hydrogen bonding between its molecules, making it have an even higher boiling point compared to CH\(_3\)COOH. C\(_2\)H\(_5\)OH is an alcohol and also has hydrogen bonding between its molecules, but weaker than H\(_2\)O.
Therefore, C\(_4\)H\(_10\) has the lowest boiling point among the given compounds due to its weak intermolecular forces.