MediumChemistryHigh School (9–10)GeneralCarbon and Its Compounds › Hydrocarbons and NomenclatureConceptual
The boiling points of methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane and hexane are 112 K, 185 K, 231 K…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The boiling points of methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane and hexane are , , , , and . A store in the mountains is at on a winter night. Which of the six are gases there? Why might a butane gas lighter fail to light on that night?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Alkanes are saturated, , names ending in -ane. Each member of a homologous series has one more , , than the one before. Boiling points rise along the series. Isomers have the same formula and different structures.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Gases. Methane, ethane and propane boil below , so they are gases.
Step 2. Liquids. Butane boils at , above the store's temperature, so it stays liquid. Pentane and hexane are liquids too.
Step 3. The lighter. Liquid butane hardly turns to gas at , so little gas comes out to burn.
Answer: methane, ethane and propane are gases; butane is liquid, so the lighter gives almost no gas.
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