C5H12, pentane, is a liquid at room temperature.
Can we predict from this information whether C4H10, butane, will be a liquid at room temperature?

A)Yes, it will be a liquid since pentane is a liquid.
B)Yes, it will be a liquid since it contains 4 carbon atoms.
C)We cannot be sure unless we find out its boiling point.
D)We cannot be sure unless we get the boiling point of propane, C3H8.

I will like to clearly state that simply comparing two compounds will not tell us exactly which one will be a liquid, solid or gas at room temperature.

If I want to determine whether an unknown substance will be a liquid at room temperature, I will have to measure its boiling point. If the boiling point is above room temperature, and the melting point is below room temperature, it’s a liquid. If the boiling point of the unknown substance is below room temperature, it is a gas.

This confirms that we cannot conclude on the state of matter in which a compound exists unless we know something about its boiling point, not by inspecting the properties of neighbouring compounds in the same homologous series

adioabiola adioabiola · Answer 2 · 2022-01-25T13:09:18+01:00

We cannot predict from this information provided whether C4H10, butane, will be a liquid at room temperature because We cannot be sure unless we find out its boiling point (option c)

Normally, Butane is a gas at room temperature and pressure. However too, if it is put under pressure, its boiling point rises. At a pressure of 2.13 x 105 Pa, its boiling point goes up to -25 °C which is obviously higher than room temperature. So, by putting butane at a pressure of just over 2 atm, it is a liquid at room temperature.

Learn more about organic compounds:

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