Question

Arrange the following compounds in increasing order of their solubilities in chloroform:
NaCl, CH₃OH, cyclohexane, CH₃CN

• A. NaCl < CH₃CN < CH₃OH < Cyclohexane
• B. CH₃OH < CH₃CN < NaCl < Cyclohexane
• C. NaCl < CH₃OH < CH₃CN < Cyclohexane
• D. Cyclohexane < CH₃CN < CH₃OH < NaCl

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the increasing order of solubility of the given compounds in chloroform, we need to consider the nature of each compound and their interactions with chloroform. 

1. Chloroform is a non-polar solvent, which means it will dissolve non-polar substances more readily.
2. Cyclohexane: Cyclohexane is a non-polar molecule due to its symmetric structure. It will be highly soluble in chloroform, which is also non-polar.
3. CH₃OH (Methanol): Methanol is a polar solvent mainly due to its hydroxyl group (OH). Though not the most soluble in chloroform, it has some moderate solubility because of its ability to slightly interact with chloroform.
4. CH₃CN (Acetonitrile): Acetonitrile is a polar compound, less polar than methanol but more polar than non-polar solvents. It has a nitrile group that can interact with the solvents to some extent, making it less soluble than non-polar molecules.
5. NaCl (Sodium Chloride): Sodium chloride is an ionic compound and is practically insoluble in non-polar solvents like chloroform, as ionic compounds require polar solvents, such as water, to dissociate effectively.

Based on this analysis, the correct order of increasing solubility of the compounds in chloroform is:

\(NaCl < CH_3CN < CH_3OH < \text{Cyclohexane}\)

This means, sodium chloride is the least soluble, followed by acetonitrile, then methanol, with cyclohexane being the most soluble in chloroform.