cncbmb
Aug23-08, 02:42 PM
1. Which of the following substances is most likely to be soluble in a nonpolar solvent?
a. glucose
b. graphite
c. sulfur
d. lithium fluoride
2. Relevant equations
Is there a way to figure out which of the nonpolar molecules above would most likely be soluble using the structure of the substances?
3. The attempt at a solution
Lithium fluoride is ionic so it is polar so it cannot be it. Glucose does not appear to have perfect symmetry so I assumed that it was slightly polar. Sulfur and graphite are pure elements, and I don't understand why sulfur would more likely to be soluble in nonpolar solvent. Ksp seems useless here since we are not dealing with ionic compounds.
a. glucose
b. graphite
c. sulfur
d. lithium fluoride
2. Relevant equations
Is there a way to figure out which of the nonpolar molecules above would most likely be soluble using the structure of the substances?
3. The attempt at a solution
Lithium fluoride is ionic so it is polar so it cannot be it. Glucose does not appear to have perfect symmetry so I assumed that it was slightly polar. Sulfur and graphite are pure elements, and I don't understand why sulfur would more likely to be soluble in nonpolar solvent. Ksp seems useless here since we are not dealing with ionic compounds.