Question:

Out of Butan-1-amine and Butan-1-ol, which is more soluble in water?

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Oxygen is more electronegative than Nitrogen $\rightarrow$ Stronger polarity $\rightarrow$ Stronger H-bonds $\rightarrow$ Higher solubility for alcohols over amines.
Updated On: Jul 22, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Concept
Solubility of organic compounds in water is driven primarily by their ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

Step 2: Meaning
The stronger the hydrogen bonds formed with water, the greater the degree of solubility.

Step 3: Analysis
Butan-1-ol features a hydroxyl ($-OH$) group,
while butan-1-amine features an amino ($-NH_2$) group.
Oxygen is significantly more electronegative (3.5) than nitrogen (3.0).
Because of this higher electronegativity difference,
the $O-H$ bond in alcohols is much more strongly polarized than the $N-H$ bond in amines.

Step 4: Conclusion
This greater bond polarity enables alcohols to form much stronger hydrogen bonds with water molecules compared to amines of comparable molecular mass.

Final Answer: Butan-1-ol is more soluble in water. This is because oxygen is more electronegative than nitrogen, making the hydrogen bonds formed between the alcohol ($-OH$) and water stronger than those formed between the amine ($-NH_2$) and water.
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