Question

Explain why gasoline is insoluble in water.

   Explain why gasoline is insoluble in water.

Holt Chemistry

R.Thomas Myers,… 1st Edition

Chapter 13, Problem 26

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert David Collins

06/23/2020

Step 1

Gasoline is a mixture of many non-polar compounds, mostly hydrocarbons that contain just carbon and hydrogen. On the other hand, water is a highly polar substance. Show more…

Show all steps

lock

Thanks for your feedback!

Explain why gasoline is insoluble in water.

Play audio

Feedback

Powered by NumerAI

David Collins and 99 other subject Chemistry 102 educators are ready to help you.

Ask a new question

Labs

Want to see this concept in action?

NEW

Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.

View Labs

Key Concepts

Polarity

Polarity refers to the distribution of electrical charge within molecules. Water has a polar structure with partial positive and negative charges due to its electronegativity differences, whereas nonpolar substances do not have this charge separation, leading to differences in how they interact with other molecules.

Intermolecular Forces

Intermolecular forces are the forces of attraction between molecules. Water molecules form strong hydrogen bonds because of its polarity, while nonpolar molecules, like those in gasoline, only engage in weak London dispersion forces. This difference in intermolecular interactions contributes to why nonpolar substances do not mix well with polar ones.

Like Dissolves Like Principle

The 'like dissolves like' principle is a guideline that polar solvents tend to dissolve polar solutes and nonpolar solvents tend to dissolve nonpolar solutes. Since water is polar and gasoline is nonpolar, the attractive forces between water molecules do not favorably interact with the nonpolar molecules of gasoline, making it insoluble in water.

Recommended Videos

Transcript

Ace is your personal tutor. It breaks down any question with clear steps so you can learn.

Start Using Ace

Continue solving this problem

Create a free account to:

View full step-by-step solution
Ask follow-up questions with Ace AI
Save progress and study later