Question

Alcohols have high boiling points because of ____________.

Options

• All of these

• increase in the number of carbon atoms

• presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in them

• increase in van der Waals forces

Answer 1

Alcohols have high boiling points because of presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in them.

Explanation:

In alkanes, the only intermolecular forces are van der Waals dispersion forces. Hydrogen bonds are much stronger than these and therefore it takes more energy to separate alcohol molecules than it does to separate alkane molecules. That's the main reason that the boiling points are higher.