The boiling point of ethanol is significantly higher than that of its functional isomer, dimethyl et — Alcohols Phenols and Ethers Chemistry Question
Question
The boiling point of ethanol is significantly higher than that of its functional isomer, dimethyl ether. What is the primary physical reason for this difference?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
Ethanol molecules are highly associated through strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding due to the highly polar $O-H$ bond. This requires significantly more thermal energy to separate the molecules compared to dimethyl ether, which lacks an $O-H$ bond and therefore cannot form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with itself.
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