---
title: "A student investigates the solubility of several straight-chain alcohols in water at \\(25^\\circ\\text{C}\\) and records the data in the table below.  | Alcohol | Molecular formula | Solubility in water (\\(\\text{mol/L}\\)) | |—|—|—| | Methanol | \\(\\text{CH}_3\\text{OH}\\) | Miscible | | 1-Propanol | \\(\\text{C}_3\\text{H}_7\\text{OH}\\) | Miscible | | 1-Pentanol | \\(\\text{C}_5\\text{H}_{11}\\text{OH}\\) | \\(0.25\\) | | 1-Heptanol | \\(\\text{C}_7\\text{H}_{15}\\text{OH}\\) | \\(0.008\\) |  Which of the following best explains why 1-heptanol is significantly less soluble in water than methanol?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/121461/"
date_modified: "2026-08-23T05:04:40+00:00"
---

# A student investigates the solubility of several straight-chain alcohols in water at \(25^\circ\text{C}\) and records the data in the table below.

| Alcohol | Molecular formula | Solubility in water (\(\text{mol/L}\)) |
|—|—|—|
| Methanol | \(\text{CH}_3\text{OH}\) | Miscible |
| 1-Propanol | \(\text{C}_3\text{H}_7\text{OH}\) | Miscible |
| 1-Pentanol | \(\text{C}_5\text{H}_{11}\text{OH}\) | \(0.25\) |
| 1-Heptanol | \(\text{C}_7\text{H}_{15}\text{OH}\) | \(0.008\) |

Which of the following best explains why 1-heptanol is significantly less soluble in water than methanol?

A student investigates the solubility of several straight-chain alcohols in water at \(25^\circ\text{C}\) and records the data in the table below.

| Alcohol | Molecular formula | Solubility in water (\(\text{mol/L}\)) |
|---|---|---|
| Methanol | \(\text{CH}_3\text{OH}\) | Miscible |
| 1-Propanol | \(\text{C}_3\text{H}_7\text{OH}\) | Miscible |
| 1-Pentanol | \(\text{C}_5\text{H}_{11}\text{OH}\) | \(0.25\) |
| 1-Heptanol | \(\text{C}_7\text{H}_{15}\text{OH}\) | \(0.008\) |

Which of the following best explains why 1-heptanol is significantly less soluble in water than methanol?

- **A.** 1-Heptanol is less soluble in water than methanol because the longer nonpolar carbon chain strengthens the intramolecular \(\text{O-H}\) covalent bond, preventing the alcohol from ionizing in aqueous solution.
- **B.** 1-Heptanol is less soluble in water than methanol because the extensive nonpolar hydrocarbon chain cannot form hydrogen bonds with water, so the favorable interactions between the hydroxyl group and water cannot overcome the disruption of hydrogen bonds among water molecules.
- **C.** 1-Heptanol is less soluble in water than methanol because having a greater number of electrons decreases the polarizability of 1-heptanol, weakening the London dispersion interactions between the alcohol and water molecules.
- **D.** 1-Heptanol is less soluble in water than methanol because the high molar mass of 1-heptanol causes the \(\text{-OH}\) group to become nonpolar, preventing the molecule from forming hydrogen bonds with water.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/121461/*