Compounds with low boiling points may be sprayed on skin as...

Name: Problem 117, Chapter 10: Chemistry The Science in Context
Uploaded: 2020-04-30T21:15:05-08:00
Duration: 47 s
Channel: David Collins
Description: Compounds with low boiling points may be sprayed on skin as a topical anesthetic- they chill it as they evaporate, providing short-term relief from injuries. Predict which compound among those in Figure P10.117 has the lowest boiling point.

Compounds with low boiling points may be sprayed on skin as a topical anesthetic- they chill it as they evaporate, providing short-term relief from injuries. Predict which compound among those in Figure P10.117 has the lowest boiling point.

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Key Concepts

Intermolecular Forces

Intermolecular forces are the attractions between molecules that govern many physical properties of substances, including boiling points. Weaker forces, such as London dispersion forces, generally lead to lower boiling points because less energy is needed to overcome these interactions for the substance to evaporate.

Evaporative Cooling

Evaporative cooling is the process by which a liquid absorbs heat from its surroundings as it evaporates. This phenomenon is used in applications like topical anesthetics, where the rapid evaporation of a low boiling point compound cools the skin by drawing heat away from it.

Boiling Point

The boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a gas and is crucial in determining the conditions under which a substance will vaporize. A lower boiling point indicates that a substance requires less thermal energy to change from a liquid to a gas, reflecting the relative weakness of the forces holding its molecules together.

Volatility

Volatility describes the tendency of a substance to vaporize, which is directly related to its boiling point. Compounds with high volatility, indicated by low boiling points, evaporate quickly, making them useful in scenarios where rapid cooling or a fast phase change is desired.

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