Which Compound is Most Soluble in Water?

Based on the data given:

Which of the compounds butanoic acid, butane, and butanone is most soluble in water?

Answer:

Among the three compounds butanoic acid, butane, and butanone, the one that is most soluble in water is butanoic acid.

Butanoic acid is the most soluble in water because of its carboxyl functional group, which can form the strongest intermolecular forces with polar water. This enables better interaction and dissolution in water compared to butane and butanone.

Butanoic acid represents a carboxylic acid, butane represents an alkane, and butanone is a ketone. The carboxylic acid functional group in butanoic acid has strong polar interactions with water molecules, leading to increased solubility.

Butane, being an alkane, lacks a polar functional group, making it the least soluble in water among the three compounds. Butanone, on the other hand, has a ketone functional group that can form intermolecular bonds with water, making it more soluble than butane but less soluble than butanoic acid.

Overall, the presence of the carboxyl functional group in butanoic acid allows for enhanced solubility in water due to its ability to form strong intermolecular forces with polar water molecules.